What is Tea? Understanding Camellia Sinensis & True Tea
Learn what makes true tea different from herbal infusions. Discover the Camellia sinensis plant, its varieties, and why all tea comes from one amazing plant.
8 min read•Published September 27, 2025
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Tea is any beverage made from the Camellia sinensis plant. This includes white, green, yellow, oolong, black, and pu-erh teas. Everything else—chamomile, peppermint, rooibos—is technically a "tisane" or herbal infusion, not true tea.
The magic? This single plant creates vastly different flavors through processing alone. It's like turning grapes into both wine and raisins—same source, different journey.
Despite thousands of varieties in your local tea shop, all true tea comes from a single plant species. Understanding Camellia sinensis—the mother of all teas—reveals why your green tea, black tea, and oolong all share a family tree.
Meet Camellia Sinensis: The Tea Plant
01Camellia sinensis is an evergreen shrub native to East Asia, belonging to the Theaceae family (which also includes ornamental camellias). Left wild, it can grow into a tree reaching 30 meters tall, but cultivation keeps it pruned to waist height for easy harvesting.
Plant Characteristics
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Leaves | Glossy, serrated edges, 4-15cm long |
| Flowers | Small, white with yellow stamens, fragrant |
| Seeds | 1-4 per fruit, can be pressed for tea oil |
| Lifespan | Productive for 50+ years, can live centuries |
| Height | 1-2m cultivated, up to 30m wild |
| Climate | Subtropical to tropical preferred |
| Elevation | Sea level to 2,500m (8,200ft) |
| Rainfall | Needs 1,250mm+ annually |
Historical Note
The tea plant is closely related to the ornamental camellias in gardens worldwide. In fact, early European botanists initially classified tea as Thea sinensis before realizing it belonged to the Camellia genus.
There's poetry in the fact that every tea in the world—from the most delicate white to the earthiest pu-erh—begins with the same leaf. What separates a morning English Breakfast from an afternoon sencha isn't the plant but the human touch: when we pluck, how we process, what traditions we honor. The leaf provides possibility; we provide transformation.
In Yunnan's ancient tea forests, wild trees older than memory stretch toward canopy light, their roots tangled with mythology. These are the ancestors of every cultivated bush, the genetic wellspring from which all tea culture flows. To know tea, truly know it, is to understand this singular origin story.
Two Varieties, Endless Possibilities
02While all tea comes from Camellia sinensis, two main varieties have evolved in different climates, creating distinct flavor profiles and growing characteristics.
| var. sinensis (Chinese) | var. assamica (Indian) | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Smaller (5-12cm), delicate | Larger (15-35cm), robust |
| Flavor | Subtle, sweet, complex | Bold, malty, astringent |
| Caffeine | Lower levels | Higher levels |
| Climate | Cold-hardy, survives frost | Tropical, needs warmth |
| Best for | Green, white, oolong teas | Black tea, pu-erh |
| Regions | China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan | India, Sri Lanka, Africa |
Modern cultivation often uses hybrids combining the cold-hardiness of var. sinensis with the vigor and yield of var. assamica, creating plants optimized for specific regions and tea styles.
True Tea vs Herbal Tea: The Great Divide
03| True Teas | Tisanes/Herbals |
|---|---|
| From Camellia sinensis only: | From any other plant: |
| White tea (bai cha) | Chamomile (flowers) |
| Green tea (lü cha) | Peppermint (leaves) |
| Yellow tea (huang cha) | Rooibos (leaves) |
| Oolong tea (wulong cha) | Hibiscus (flowers) |
| Black tea (hong cha) | Ginger (root) |
| Dark/Pu-erh tea (hei cha) | Fruit infusions |
| Contains caffeine naturally | Usually caffeine-free |
Language Note
While technically incorrect, "herbal tea" is widely accepted in English. In other languages, the distinction is clearer: French uses "thé" vs "tisane," and Chinese uses "cha" (茶) only for true tea.
The distinction between tea and tisane isn't mere pedantry—it's about understanding lineage. When you drink true tea, you participate in a conversation that began 5,000 years ago in the forests of Yunnan. Every cup connects you to Buddhist monks perfecting meditation, British merchants sailing clipper ships, Japanese masters codifying ceremony.
Tisanes have their own stories, their own medicine. But they belong to different traditions, different wisdoms. To call them tea is like calling all music jazz—it obscures more than it clarifies. Precision in language helps us appreciate each plant's unique gifts.
Where Tea Grows: The Global Tea Belt
04Tea thrives in a belt around the globe roughly between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, though some regions extend beyond these boundaries.
Major Tea-Producing Regions
Asia (80% of production)
- China: Largest producer, all tea types
- India: Second largest, famous for Assam, Darjeeling
- Sri Lanka: Ceylon tea specialist
- Japan: Green tea focus (sencha, matcha)
- Taiwan: Premium oolongs
Rest of World
- Kenya: Leading African producer
- Turkey: Black tea for domestic use
- Vietnam: Growing exporter
- Argentina: South American leader
- Georgia: Historic producer
Ideal Growing Conditions
| Factor | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 13-30°C (55-86°F) year-round |
| Rainfall | 1,250-6,000mm annually, well-distributed |
| Altitude | Higher elevations (1,000-2,500m) produce premium teas |
| Soil | Acidic (pH 4.5-5.5), well-drained, rich in organic matter |
| Sunlight | 4-5 hours daily, often with morning mist |
Life of a Tea Plant
05Growth Stages
Seedling (0-3 years)
Plants grown from seed or cutting. No harvesting yet—energy goes to root development.
Young Plant (3-5 years)
Light harvesting begins. Plants pruned to encourage bushy growth.
Mature Plant (5-50 years)
Peak production period. Regular harvesting of "two leaves and a bud."
Ancient Trees (50+ years)
Lower yield but exceptional quality. Some trees over 1,000 years old still produce.
Harvesting Cycles
Tea plants produce flushes—periods of new growth—throughout the growing season:
- First Flush (Spring): Most delicate, highest quality
- Second Flush (Early Summer): Fuller bodied, balanced
- Monsoon Flush (Rainy Season): Larger yield, bolder flavor
- Autumn Flush: Smooth, mellow character
A tea plant's life mirrors our own—tentative youth, productive middle years, distinguished old age. The Chinese prize ancient trees not from sentimentality but from wisdom: these survivors have deep roots, both literal and metaphorical. They've weathered centuries of storms, adapted to their terroir, developed complexity you can taste.
In Darjeeling, they say the best teas come from bushes old enough to remember the British Raj. In Yunnan, collectors pay fortunes for leaves from trees that predate the Ming Dynasty. Age alone doesn't guarantee quality, but it offers something youth cannot: the accumulated character of survival.
Cultivars and Varietals
06Like wine grapes, tea has hundreds of cultivars—cultivated varieties selected for specific characteristics. Each contributes unique flavors, aromas, and qualities.
| Chinese Cultivars | Japanese Cultivars |
|---|---|
| Long Jing 43: Dragon Well green tea | Yabukita: 75% of Japanese tea |
| Da Bai: Silver Needle white tea | Okumidori: Premium sencha |
| Tie Guan Yin: Iron Goddess oolong | Samidori: High-grade matcha |
| Jin Xuan: Milk oolong | Benifuuki: High in methylated catechins |
Terroir: Why Location Matters
07Like wine, tea expresses terroir—the complete natural environment where it grows. This includes soil, topography, climate, and even surrounding vegetation.
Terroir Factors
Altitude: Higher elevations = slower growth = more complex flavors. Darjeeling's high gardens produce distinctive muscatel notes.
Mist & Cloud: Natural shading increases amino acids (especially L-theanine), creating sweeter, less astringent tea.
Mineral Content: Volcanic soils in Japan contribute to umami. Rocky soils in Wuyi mountains create mineral "rock taste."
Biodiversity: Insects and surrounding plants influence flavor. Oriental Beauty oolong requires leafhopper bites.
The Chemistry of Tea
08Fresh tea leaves contain over 4,000 chemical compounds that create the flavors, aromas, and health benefits we enjoy. Processing transforms these compounds in different ways.
| Key Compounds | Processing Changes |
|---|---|
| Polyphenols (30-40%): Antioxidants, astringency | Oxidation: Converts catechins to theaflavins |
| Amino Acids (4%): Umami, sweetness | Heat: Stops oxidation, develops roasted notes |
| Caffeine (3-4%): Stimulation, bitterness | Rolling: Breaks cells, releases enzymes |
| Carbohydrates (25%): Body, sweetness | Fermentation: Microbial activity (pu-erh) |
| Volatile Oils (<1%): Aroma, flavor | Withering: Reduces moisture, concentrates flavor |
Frequently Asked Questions
09Can I grow tea at home?
Yes! Camellia sinensis grows well in USDA zones 7-9. You can grow it in containers in cooler climates, bringing it indoors for winter. You'll need patience though—it takes 3-5 years before you can harvest.
Why is yerba mate not considered true tea?
Yerba mate comes from Ilex paraguariensis, a holly species native to South America. While caffeinated and culturally significant, it's botanically unrelated to Camellia sinensis, making it a tisane rather than true tea.
Are tea flowers used for anything?
Yes! Tea flowers are edible and sometimes dried for tisanes. They have a delicate, honey-like fragrance. However, allowing flowering reduces leaf production, so most commercial operations prevent it.
What's the oldest tea plant?
The oldest known cultivated tea tree is in Yunnan, China, estimated at 3,200 years old. Wild tea trees in the same region may be even older. These ancient trees produce highly prized (and expensive) pu-erh tea.
Is decaf tea still "true tea"?
Yes, decaffeinated tea is still true tea if it comes from Camellia sinensis. The decaffeination process removes most caffeine but leaves other compounds largely intact, though some flavor loss occurs.
"All the tea in China comes from one plant. All the diversity in your cup—from morning wake-up to evening wind-down—springs from how we treat those leaves after picking. Tea teaches us that variety comes not from having more, but from understanding what we have more deeply."
To ask "what is tea?" is to begin a journey that has no end. Each answer opens new questions, each sip reveals new subtleties. The botanical definition—anything from Camellia sinensis—is just the starting point. From there, tea becomes culture, chemistry, agriculture, art. It becomes morning ritual and afternoon pause, social lubricant and solitary meditation. Most of all, it becomes a lens through which to see the world's beautiful complexity, all contained in a single leaf.
Continue Your Tea Journey
Now that you understand what tea truly is, explore how this single plant becomes six distinct types.