Carla, I'm not a major tea fan, I drink iced tea maybe three or four times a year, and I don't really like hot tea, so ... I'm probably not the best person to answer this.

However, as you point out, regular camellias grow very well in your climate. So, I'm sure Tea Camellia would do just as well.

I have a regular ornamental Camellia here in Michigan, which overwinters indoors as a houseplant, of course. It's a ridiculously easy plant to grow, never has any pest or disease issues, and it has beautiful red and white, variegated flowers every January and February. I've had it about 10 years now, and it's about 7 feet tall x 4 feet wide.

Green tea is, of course, the simplest way to consume it -- just dry the leaves and then brew. Orange and black tea are a bit more challenge, from what I understand, requiring a bruise and semi-fermentation process, but still very "do-able" even at home, from things I've read on the internet.

So, I guess I can't see any reason not to. If nothing else, it's an attractive broadleaved evergreen with smallish white flowers.

Dennis
SE Michigan

I'm actually growing tea up here in Iowa, doing the whole overwinter indoors thing that denninmi is doing with their Camellia. It's a Camellia sisensis var ptilophylla (or Camellia ptilophylla, depending on which source you use; some call it a variety while others call it a separate species). I got it from Camellia Forest Nursery. I picked this variety because it's naturally decaffeinated (it even contains an enzyme that breaks down caffeine into theobromine, the chocolate chemical).

It's been handling temperatures down to 4C with no apparent damage. It hasn't taken off in growth yet, but given that it's fairly newly planted and the weather's been cold at night, I'm not surprised. Looks nice and healthy -- a very attractive plant. I can't wait to start pinching off buds and new leaves :) I imagine I'll get my first (tiny) taste in a month or so, as I'm going to want to pinch off it's tall, main stem to encourage branching once it gets another inch or two taller.

I'm also giving growing kona coffee and grand nain bananas a try. I'm also looking to get a dwarf tangerine and a dwarf mango (I'd really love a Carrie). Yeah, it means my library gets filled overwinter and I need more grow lights, but... come on, fresh tropical fruit and drinks! :)