All real tea (green, yellow, white, black, oolong, and post-fermented tea) comes from the same tea plant, the Camellia Sinensis. Each type of tea is made from the leaves of this tea plant, but each has its own unique production process. Thus, it’s the production process that determines whether a tea becomes green tea or black tea, not the tea plant itself. In this blog, we delve deeper into the only real tea plant, the Camellia Sinensis.

History of the tea plant

There is much debate about the origin of the Camellia Sinensis tea plant. The consensus among most scientists is that its origin can be found in a strip running along the foothills of the Himalayas, extending from Assam to Southwest China. Some botanists believe that the plant originated along the banks of the Irrawaddy River in Burma (now Myanmar) and then spread northward to Southeast China, Northern Burma, and Assam. Other scientists say that the plant first grew in the Yunnan province of Southwest China. While a third group of scientists believes that the plant has two separate places of origin: one in East and Southeast China, and the other in Yunnan province in the southwest of China. This idea of two origins stems from the fact that two subspecies of the plant have been found: the small-leaf variant in the temperate areas of Southeast China and the large-leaf variant in the tropical areas of Yunnan, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Assam.

While no single place can be definitively defined as the birthplace of tea, the majority believe that the plant first appeared in the Chinese province of Yunnan, and possibly also in the provinces of Sichuan and Guizhou, during the Tertiary period from 66 to 2.58 million years ago.

General characteristics of Camellia Sinensis

The tea plant is scientifically classified as Camellia Sinensis (L). O. Kuntze:

• Family: Theaceae
• Genus: Camellia
• Species: sinensis

This evergreen plant thrives well in the (partial) shade of forests and woods and prefers deep sand or loam soil with an acidic pH of 4.5 to 5.5. The roots need a lot of water, but the soil must be well-draining. The white flowers are hermaphroditic and have fragile white petals that are sometimes lightly pink-tinted, surrounding a wreath of bright yellow stamens.

The tea bushes need 1140 to 1270 mm of rain, evenly distributed throughout the year. Different varieties of Camellia Sinensis require different temperatures for successful growth. The more cold-hardy varieties prefer temperatures between 12.5°C and 32°C and can survive snow. Snow acts as an insulator for the bush. Temperatures below freezing and temperatures above 35°C are harmful to the plant.

Subspecies

Regardless of its origin, it is well established that the Camellia Sinensis tea plant has two subspecies: Camellia sinensis var. sinensis and Camellia sinensis var. assamica.

1. Camellia sinensis var. sinensis

Camellia sinensis var. sinensis S, also known as the Chinese variety, has smaller leaves and originates from Southeast China. The Chinese subspecies is a large bush that develops numerous upright stems from the base of the plant and can grow 3 to 4 meters high.

2. Camellia sinensis var. Assamica

Camellia sinensis var. Assamica, also known as the Assam variety, has larger leaves and originates from Yunnan, Vietnam, Laos, Myarmar, and Assam. The Assam subspecies is named because it was first found by Europeans in the early 19th century. This variety is larger than the Chinese variant and can grow up to 18 meters high.This plant usually has a single trunk from which sturdy branches develop. The leaves are much larger than those of the Chinese variety, hence the name large-leaf variant. The glossy leaves have a length of 8 to 30 centimeters, with clear veins in each leaf and prominent edge veins. The flowers are cream-white with hints of yellow. The plant prefers low-lying areas in subtropical regions and thrives in high temperatures and high humidity.

Generally, the leaves of the assamica variety contain more caffeine and polyphenols than the Chinese variety. This plant is native to Assam, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam.

Varieties and Cultivars

Within the Camellia sinensis subspecies, there are thousands of varieties and cultivars worldwide, each with their own individual characteristics such as leaf size, leaf color, flower size, tannin content, caffeine content, and polyphenols. A variety is a plant that has developed through natural selection or mutation. Some examples of natural varieties of the Camellia sinensis var. Assamica include Yiwu Green Bud, Tengchong Broad Leaf, and Mingfeng Mountain Broad Leaf. A cultivar (derived from cultivated variety) refers to a plant that has been deliberately created by scientists or botanists. Some well-known examples of Japanese cultivars are Sayamamidori (for making sencha), Kyoumidori (for making tencha and gyokuro), and Benikaori (for making black tea).

New cultivars are created by crossing plants selected for their ability to thrive in certain conditions and to produce tea with a specific scent and flavor profile. Cultivars can be cultivated for their high yield, resistance to pests, ability to survive warmer and drier weather, antioxidant content, strong taste, or the floral aroma that is expected from them.

New cultivars are released for cultivation by research institutions only after approval by the competent governmental authorities. New tea plants can be grown from seed or can be created by layering or grafting. Nowadays, the most commonly used method is the creation of clones through vegetative reproduction. Cloned plants produce successful tea leaves for about 50 years, while seed plants can last more than 100 years.

One of the countries most actively involved in developing new cultivars is Taiwan, formerly known as Formosa. There, the TRES institute focuses on research and the cultivation of new cultivars. Taiwan has developed so strongly in this field over the past 100 years that several other tea countries now also rely on Taiwanese knowledge.