Like home grown tea? (black or green,NOT herb) EASY,Plant a camellia sinensis plant!

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Camellia sinensis, the true tea plant from which come all our green and black teas WILL grow here in America! The two end leaves of each stem, plus the growing tip is harvested in the spring. Simply rolling the leaves in your hands (to bruise them) and then leaving them to sit for several hours until they turn black (from fermentation) and then drying them produces the same black tea you buy at the grocery. Obviously several mature shrubs would be required to make any significant amount but you CAN make (near) future tea lovers happy by your choice of landscaping. By the way, they produce lovely white or pink flowers from October thru December. I know of two sources for the plants, Nichols Nursery in Albany, Oregon and I believe there is an American Tea Company back east in South Carolina?, I think. I'd have to do an internet search for "American Tea Company" to be sure. I just ordered two for $23.95 ea plus shipping. The Japanese plants I bought will grow in zones 6-9, but grow best in zones 7-8.

-- Ann Fisher (zyax55a@prodigy.net), November 30, 1999

Answers

Thanks, Ann. I LIKE this idea! I'm overdue for a backroads drive down to Albany anyway.

Squirrel Hunter >"<

-- SH (squirrel@huntr.com), November 30, 1999.


Anyone know any hardy North American plants that have caffeine? I'm zone 5, go down to -20 some nights, and thus tea is out.

-- Firemouse (firemouse@fcmail.com), November 30, 1999.

Anybody have information about growing coffee beans here in the US?

-- snooze button (alarmclock_2000@yahoo.com), November 30, 1999.

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