What kind of tea you make depends on how you process the leaves or what part you use. Assamica just has larger leaves. I would highly recommend Camellia Forest Nursery. Last year I bought a few varieties of Camellia sinensis seeds from them and all but one variety gave me a 100% germination rate. It was a surprise for me as I am quite new at this. And people there are great, they helped me with my dying Sochi tea camellia (which I did not buy from them.) They do sell plants also.

I am looking for the following tea seeds for green tea. If anyone has any to share, I would like to trade for something on my list. Thanks Melanie

As for hardiness, I have had a Camellia sinensis planted by a west-facing concrete porch for several years with no problem. I bought it from Burnt Ridge nursery in Onalaska WA. Sometimes their plants are small but the first one below says it is a gallon. They sell inexpensive seedling plants in a lot of fruit and nut trees. I'm still waiting for fruit on some small plants I bought from them after several years. Maybe some day... Nice people, family business. http://landru.myhome.net/burntridge/ornament.html TEA BREEZE - A dark green leafed selection. Widely cultivated for tea. Hardy to zone 7. Grown in gallon pots, about 3 ft. tall. Multi branched $15.00 ea. BLUSHING MAIDEN - A pink flowered selection, otherwise similar to Tea Breeze. Grown in gallon pot, about 12-18" tall. Multi branched $15.00 ea.

The enzymes in the tea leaves promote oxidation of the leaves after they are picked from the tea plant. Just as dying tree leaves turn from green to gold, red and brown in the Fall, so wilting tea leaves start to go brown and black under warm humid conditions. This is a form of natural oxidative decay, a bit like apple flesh turning brown after it is cut. Therefore the enzymes have to be knocked out by steam in order to stop this "fermentation" and retain the green color of the leaves as they are dried. This is also done to things like green beans by blanching before freezing...otherwise the enzymes can cause the beans to turn black and leathery. This fermentation is allowed to occur naturally when black tea is made, because the leaves are not steamed and the enzymes are intact. The fermentation process increases the body, astringency and complexity of the flavor but also removes some of the anti-oxidant components of the tea.