Chinese tea tree (Camelia sinensis)

Other names: Chinese tea plant, Camelia Thea

Chinese tea tree, also known by its Latin names Camelia sinensis or Camelia Thea, is an evergreen, deciduous plant native to Southeast Asia. It forms a medium-sized shrub or small tree reaching up to 17 metres in height with glossy dark green leaves on silvery, inflated stems. Its flowers are white with abundant yellow stamens. It is mostly cultivated in China, India, Sri Lanka and Kenya, but also to a lesser extent in many other tropical and subtropical countries.

The main product produced from the Chinese tea tree is, of course, tea. Green, black, white, oolong and pu-erh all come from this plant and differ only in the way they are processed. In addition to tea, the leaves and seeds of the Chinese tea plant are also used. The leaves, for example, can be used to produce food colouring, while the seeds contain oil that is used in the cosmetics industry, for example in soaps, creams or shampoos. Tea oil also plays an important role in traditional Chinese medicine. In large quantities, low-alcohol beverages are also made from the tea plant and are particularly popular in Asia.