Tea Time for Master Gardeners

Master Gardeners ask the darndest questions and at last night's training class I got a good one that got me to thinking.  Can we grow tea plants here in Indiana?  I had never thought about that.  We wondered whether it was even legal or if there were some sort of USDA restrictions on the plant.

Well, it turns out that Camellia sinensis var. sinensis is grown in the US and people can grow their own tea.  The plant is hardy in Zones 7-9 which rules out outdoor planting, but not growing it as a container or houseplant.  After reading the cultural info, I suspect that an indoor tea growing experience will be riddled with pests and diseases, but what's the fun in not trying.  An excellent page with cultural information from the University of Florida Extension is a good place to start.  After reading I decided that it would be best to start from cuttings rather than seed for a container grown plant due to the root structure.  A potted specimen could be treated in the same way as other tropicals that we grow outdoors during the summer, then bring in for the winter.  Or it could be grown exclusively in a sunroom or attached greenhouse setting in the home.  Just be mindful of it's minimum and maximum temperature requirements and watch out for those pesky spider mites.

There are probably some online sources for cuttings, but since Camellia sinensis is sold as an ornamental plant in Zone 7 and up areas, a trip to a nursery might be the easiest way to go.  For those who want a real challenge there were several sites with seed for sale.  I didn't follow any of them to get the details, but I do know that seed is viable for only a short period of time.

A quick reminder for those of you who do plant research online.  I always recommend using the university websites as your first line of accurate information.  Those are the .edu sites.  My next resource is sites maintained by the societies or organizations supporting a particular species which are typically .org sites.  When considering information from a commercial or .com site you should always cross reference with a .edu or .org.

The University of Delaware page about Camellia sinensis was also good information.  And even Purdue University has a technical paper about the plant.  So there you go brave, young Master Gardeners is Zone 5.  Your challenge is before you.  I'll be over for tea this afternoon.