Green Tea Plant
This little green tea bush went in the ground yesterday. We dug up an old azalea that was well past its prime (and likely older than I am) and put this in its place in our front yard. It’s in the camellia family (camellia sinesis ‘Austea’) and since our front yard is full of camelias I have great hopes that this one will survive.
I’m not sure when we can drink tea from our harvest, but I suspect the answer is any time we want to. You only drink the new leaves so this is going to be a seasonal drink. The instructions read:
– Place about 10 tips (5 g) onto a saucer, heat in the microwave for 10-20 sec on medium until the leaves are soft and moist.
– Roll the leaves into a ball between the palms of your hands for 10-20 sec to break up the cells in the leaves.
– Place the tea-ball into a cup and add boiling water (I’ve always heard green tea prefers 90 degrees, just below boiling) and let steep for 1 minute.
– Strain and drink your tea.
– The same leaves can be reused for 2-3 more cups (in fact, connoisseurs claim the first cup is best dumped down the drain – as I’m not a connoisseur I’ll drink mine).
Anyone for a cuppa?
Laura Rittenhouse's Gardening Journal 
OH, I want a cup!!!!
I wonder if that plant will grow here. I’ve never heard of anyone having it and I’ve never seen it anywhere or I would have certainly bought one!
I’ll have to research!
I know when you drink this tea! When I come over to visit YUM!!!
Reckon it would grow up here?
😀
There is no way a single tea bush will satisfy your tea drinking demands 🙂 Perhaps a forest of them? Luckily they’re pretty as well as functional.