Herbs to Grow for Tea
Answered by: Conrad Richter
Question from: Cheryl Stone
Posted on: April 18, 2003

Could you please tell me what herbs would be good to grow for making tea? And just what is green tea? Is there a specific herb to grow to get green tea? I know that lemon grass, spearmint, peppermint is good for tea, but would like to know some other herbs. I’m not really fond of chamomile.

Green tea is the from the same plant that black tea comes from. Black tea is fermented while green tea is is not. The leaves are harvested from the tea bush, Camellia sinensis, and then processed according to the form of tea that is desired. Some varieties of tea require that the leaves be harvested at specific stages or times; for example, a premium type called "white tea" is made from only the first flush of young leaf buds collected in spring. In any case, Camellia sinensis is not hardy in Nova Scotia where you are located, so it could only be grown in a greenhouse or solarium.

There are many other herbs that can be grown for pleasure teas. Some examples are anise-hyssop, lemon balm, betony, hyssop, and bergamot, but there are many others. Some books worth getting are Kathleen Brown’s "Herbal Teas: 101 Nourishing Blends for Daily Health and Vitality", Susan Clotfelter’s "The Herb Tea Book: Blending, Brewing, and Savoring Teas for Every Mood and Occasion", Mariettta Marshall Marcin’s "The Herbal Tea Garden", and Marie Nadine Antol’s "Healing Teas: How to Prepare and Use Teas to Maximize Your Health". All of these books are available from Richters.

Also, do you know how I would locate a tea bagger?

If you are looking for commercial equipment to make tea bags – no we do not have any information where to find one. For small batches for home use, look at the HerbWild website (http://www.herbwild.com) for fillable tea bags.

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