Got a picture? One picture is worth 1000 words!

FataMorgana

Hmmm does it spread with "tentacles that start with leaves on them???
A pic would be helpful, but you should check out spearmint peppermint and chocolate mint pics... Look at my topic 'do I have chocolate mint or regular peppermint' for pics of all three to compare with. Do not ingest it until you are sure what it is though!!!

A tea plant is a shrub (Camellia sinensis).

A plant from which you can make a tea (strictly called an infusion or a decoction) can be many things. It can be a tree, a shrub, a groundcover, a grass.... Depending on the plant, a 'tea' can be made from the roots, the leaves, the flowers, the bark - but it's vital that you know which part for each plant!

You need to post a picture of the plant in question before we can begin making guesses - it could be any one of thousands of plants.

If the old gardener is right, it's probably safe to ingest - but I recommend that you get a 100% reliable ID before you start using it. That gardener clearly didn't know his plants all that well if he couldn't give it a name!

Take some of it (a generous amount, preferably with flowers if possible, and as fresh as possible, and include some roots) to a nursery where they know their herbs, or to your local school of horticulture, or to your nearest botanical gardens for a proper ID.

I got some photos of it. Its certainly not a shrub, sure is an awful lot like mint, but no minty smell at all.

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/dshoenfelt/gardeningdiary005-2.jpg

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/dshoenfelt/gardeningdiary004.jpg

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/dshoenfelt/gardeningdiary002.jpg

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/dshoenfelt/gardeningdiary001-1.jpg

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/dshoenfelt/gardeningdiary003.jpg

Certainly looks like a mint of some sort.

Any other ideas?

Your pix for you....

FataMorgana