Tea plant Camellia sinensis

Tea leaves can be harvested for the first time three to five years after the shoot is planted. Tea is usually harvested by hand for quality reasons, whereby the two youngest leaves and the bud yield especially high-quality teas.

Whether these leaves will be turned into black tea, green tea, white tea, oolong tea or pu-erh tea is determined solely by how they are processed.
 

If left alone, tea (Camellia sinensis var. assamica and var. sinensis) will grow to a height of roughly 15 metres. Even today, such trees can be found in tea’s indigenous home, which runs from the south east of what is now China to the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra in what is now India. However, tea has been cultivated for thousands of years and is kept as a low bush. It grows slowly, and blooms extensively in its second year after planting. The plants are no longer propagated with seeds, but by using shoots. Tea can be harvested from the bush the first time three to five years after the shoot is planted. The tea plant has a strong tap root that anchors it firmly in the ground, and its lateral roots absorb water and nutrients.Because the plant cannot tolerate standing water, its lateral roots are above the groundwater level. It is susceptible to low temperatures and needs plenty of rain and high humidity.

The green leaves are picked by hand, whereby the two youngest leaves and the bud yield especially high-quality teas. Whether these leaves will be turned into black or green tea is determined solely by how they are processed.