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Tea in America
Last Updated: 09/03/2009
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 Tea In America
by Gene Phillips
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Most of us that have grown up in the Southeastern United States can not
remember a time when Tea was not part of our lives. One of my earliest memories
is of my grandfather “Pop” telling me to be careful and hold my glass of iced
Tea with both hands. It seems that everywhere in the south, iced Tea is the
drink of choice at restaurants for lunch or dinner. Can you imagine what the
world would be like without Sweet Tea? Something that I have noticed recently
is how many people in the south are beginning to enjoy hot Tea as well. Like
most southerners, I grew up drinking iced Tea in the afternoon and evening, but
I always started the day with coffee. About three years ago, I stopped my
morning coffee and replaced it with my morning Tea, and I have been happier
ever since. There seems to be more interest in Tea these days than ever before,
but few of us understand where Tea comes from, or how it became such an
important part of our existence.
The most interesting fact about Tea to me is that it comes from the leaves of
the camellia species called Camellia sinensis. All of us that love camellias
have enjoyed the beautiful flowers and foliage of many other species of
camellias without realizing that another camellia cousin is the source for one
of our favorite drinks. In addition to the wonderful beverage that is made from
Camellia sinensis, Tea plants are extremely beautiful as garden plants just
like their more popular cousins Camellia japonica and Camellia sasanqua. The
flowers of Tea plants begin to bloom in the south in early August and can
continue to bloom into January. One of the most interesting characteristics
about Tea plants is their mass blooming of literally hundreds of small white
flowers with yellow centers of pollen. The buds form all up and down the stems
of the plant, so when they begin to bloom, it is very showy in the garden. Tea
plants grow faster that most other species of camellias, and they have a wide
range of cultural environments suitable for them. Camellia sinensis can be
grown in shaded conditions with filtered sunlight all the way up to full sun in
the south. Another interesting fact about growing Tea in the garden is that
gardeners can make their own Tea fresh from the plants that they have grown. I
have enjoyed Tea from my garden, but I must admit that I find it much more
convenient to pick up a few boxes of Tea at the store each week.
Like all camellias, Tea is not native to America. Camellia sinensis originated
in China, and it is here that the legend of Tea began over 5000 years ago.
According to the legend, an early emperor of China named Shen Nung passed a
decree that all drinking water must be boiled as a hygienic precaution. As the
story continues, some of the emperor’s servants were boiling water to prepare a
drink for the court, when dried leaves of a near by Tea plant fell into the
boiling water. The emperor drank this new beverage and enjoyed it so much that
it became the drink of choice in ancient China. Tea has continued to be popular
in China. Much of the spread of Tea throughout China came from traveling
Buddhist priests. It was from one of the journeys, that Tea made its way into
Japan and became the object of an art form with the creation of the “Japanese
Tea Ceremony”.
For centuries, Tea was grown and used by the people of China and Japan, but it
was not until the early 1600’s that Tea was first discovered by the Europeans.
Much of the early use of Tea was restricted to wealthy individuals and nobility
because of its high price. It was treated as a rare spice with prices being
over $100.00 per pound in the early years of Tea in Europe. Like the craze that
had swept Tea into popularity in China and Japan, the trend continued in Europe
with Tea becoming a part of the way of life. This was especially true in
England where “Afternoon Tea” became a ritual. In the late 1600’s, Tea made its
way into popularity in the English colonies in America. During the years
leading up to the American Revolutionary War, the English imposed many
different taxes on the colonists that were resented by the new settlers of
America. However, in 1767 when the English imposed the Tea Tax, the colonists
were motivated to action by dressing up as Indians, boarding ships in New
England, and throwing hundreds of pounds of Tea into the harbor as a protest of
their displeasure. It became well known as “The Boston Tea Party”, and it was
this act of defiance that ultimately led America towards achieving its
independence in the Revolutionary War.
As was the case in China, Japan, and Europe, Tea became a very popular beverage
in America as well. Some of the earliest attempts to grow Tea in America
occurred in the southeast. According to a report from Francis Moore, seeds of
Camellia sinensis were sent to the Savannah, Georgia to be planted in the
famous Trust Gardens in 1744. The report goes on to say that the Tea seed did
not germinate. According to an 1857 report of the United States Patent office,
Tea plants first came to Georgia in 1772, and by 1805, Tea was growing on
Skidaway Island near Savannah. Much of the early attempts to grow Tea in
America were unsuccessful due in part to insufficient capital, and also because
of a malaria epidemic that hit the Savannah region.
The most successful effort to grow Tea in America happened around the
Charleston, South Carolina region. One of the first attempts at growing Tea in
Charleston was in 1813 at a nursery owned by Philipe Noisette, but these first
attempts to grow Tea in South Carolina did not flourish any better than those
in Georgia. In the late 1800’s, Pinehurst Tea Plantation and Golden Grove Tea
Company both began to grow Tea in the Charleston area, but both had disappeared
by the early 1900’s. In 1960, Tea was once again attempted to be grown in
Charleston at a Lipton Research facility on Wadmalaw Island. This new attempt
utilized many of the original Tea plants that were grown by Dr. Shephard’s
Pinehurst Tea Plantation in nearby Summerville. Later, this facility became
better known as The Charleston Tea Plantation.
To help me understand more about Tea and how it is grown, I visited the
Charleston Tea Plantation earlier this year, and had the great pleasure of
talking with Mr. William Hall who is one of the partners of this unique Tea
growing facility. If you have never been to visit the Charleston Tea
Plantation, you must make plans to stop in when you are in the neighborhood. It
is a truly fascinating place to see. I have been growing camellias during most
of my life, and I thought that I knew a lot about Tea. After visiting with and
learning from Mr. Hall, I soon realized that there was more to Tea than Sweet
or Un-sweet.
William Hall is a truly unique individual that has a passion for Tea like no one
that I have ever met. He is a third generation Tea taster that is originally
from Canada. Mr. Hall began his career in Tea by first doing an apprenticeship
in England where he learned the art of Tea tasting. He told me that to become a
Tea taster, you have to taste between 800 and 1000 cups of Tea a day everyday
five days a week for four years. This skill allows him to determine whether or
not a certain batch of Tea was prepared properly. After finishing his
apprenticeship, be worked for several of the largest Tea companies and Tea
trading companies in the world. His experience with growing Tea began in
Argentina when he arrived there to open an office for one of these companies.
Argentina is the largest supplier of Tea to America, and during his seven years
working with Tea in that country, he developed an understanding of how Tea was
grown efficiently. He told me that during a trip to America to attend a Tea
Convention, he read an article about the history of Tea in this country, and
that the article went on to say that Tea could never be grown efficiently in
America. The article indicated that the cost of labor was too high, and that
the elevation was not right for growing Tea. Mr. Hall’s experience told him
that the article was all wrong. He knew that in Argentina all of the Tea is
harvested mechanically, so the cost of labor being higher in America would not
factor in if Tea was harvested by mechanical means. Also, from his experience
with Tea grown in many different areas of the world, he knew that elevation was
not a consideration. After the Tea Convention was over, he flew to Charleston,
South Carolina on a business trip. While there, he learned of a very secret
research facility that was growing Tea for the Lipton Tea Company. Being
intrigued, he was able to arrange a visit where he saw first hand efforts at
growing Tea in America. He realized that if you combine the best information
from both a horticultural side and from a Tea tasting side, Tea could be grown
profitably in America. In 1987, Mr. Hall purchased the research facility from
Lipton, and began what is now known as The Charleston Tea Plantation.
Today, The Charleston Tea Plantation is the only Tea Plantation in America, and
the Tea that is produced there is sold under the brand name of American Classic
Tea. There are 130 different varieties of Tea that are grown at the Charleston
Tea Plantation. All of these clones are direct descendents of earlier Tea
growing efforts from Dr. Shephard’s operations. Mr. Hall said that in choosing
a Tea variety, he is most concerned with that particular variety’s drought
resistance and time of growing. Varieties that begin growing early in the
season and ones that continue to grow late in the season are especially good,
since all Tea is harvested from the new growth. All of the plants that are
grown at Charleston Tea Plantation are grown from cuttings on the facility, and
then planted in the fields after being grown for a while in small containers to
assure uniformity. Mr. Hall told me that Tea, like all camellias are shallow
rooted plants, so they must have good drainage. In addition to drainage, good
moisture retention is also important, so mulching the root system is very
helpful. I found it very interesting to learn what is used at the Charleston
Tea Plantation for mulch. No herbicides are used at all in the field, so hand
weeding must be done. As the weeds are pulled, these same weeds are used as
mulch, and it works very well in helping to retain moisture for the Tea plants.
The ph of the soil is also important. According to Mr. Hall, Tea plants prefer
a ph of 4.5-5.5. He has started a new system of planting Tea in the fields that
has each Tea plant planted on 18 inch centers in rows with trickle or drip
irrigation to maximize watering efficiency. Each row of Tea plantings in the
fields is spaced so that their mechanical Tea harvester can straddle the rows
and harvest Tea approximately every 18 days if they have adequate rainfall. In
addition to this specially modified Tea harvester that the affectionately call
the Green Giant, they have another specially modified tractor that can straddle
the rows in applying fertilizer. One of the most impressive things that I
learned about Tea production at Charleston Tea Plantation is that they do not
use any insecticides or fungicides. Tea plants are naturally insect and disease
resistant plants, and the lack of chemicals in a product that is consumed is an
assuring fact.
I learned that Tea is grown in many areas of the world, and that it is the
climatic differences that are the primary contributors of different taste in
Tea. Even though there are 130 different varieties of Tea grown at Charleston
Tea Plantation, it is the climate of where these Tea plants are grown that
accounts for their taste, and there is not a significantly noticeable
difference in taste between varieties, unless you happen to be a Tea taster
like Mr. Hall. Growing Tea is like most agriculture jobs. It is a seven day a
week job, and it always requires constant attention to what is happening in the
fields. After spending over two hours with Mr. Hall, it was apparent that his
desire to grow Tea was something more that just an economic effort. It is truly
a labor of love that is founded in a passion for the Tea Plant. Visiting with
William Hall gave me a new understanding and appreciation for the art and
science of growing and making Tea. The Tea that is grown at Charleston Tea
Plantation is prepared and processed in their facility which is located on the
premises. Anyone that visits the Charleston Tea Plantation can take the tour
that shows how the process works. It is a very interesting process, and a most
unique place to visit.
America is also noted for two renovations with Tea. In the 1904 World’s Fair at
St. Louis, Tea was being offered on a very hot day, but no one seemed
interested in the hot Tea. In desperation, someone put ice in the Tea, and by
accident, a new way of serving Tea was born. Today, 85% of the Tea consumed in
America is Iced Tea. The interesting fact about this is that America is the
only country in the world where Iced Tea is popular. Another improvement with
Tea that was developed in America was the invention of the Tea bag. This
improvement made Tea more convenient for many consumers to enjoy.
There are over 6 billion pounds of Tea produced in the world every year. It is
the second most consumed beverage in the world after water, and just think that
it is made from a camellia. After, reviewing the facts about Tea and its impact
on agriculture around the world, it is very clear that camellias can offer much
more that just pretty flowers. The Tea plant is an outstanding landscape plant
that blooms in the fall and early winter, and it also offers the possibility of
having the gardener make their own Tea as well.
By Gene Phillips, Savannah, GA
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