Tea production in the United States facts for kids

Camellia sinensis, the plant that gives us tea leaves, can grow in warmer parts of the United States. People have tried to grow tea for business since the 1700s. However, tea has always been a special crop, not grown widely across the US. As of 2020, the US mainland has one large tea farm in Charleston, South Carolina. This farm uses machines to pick the tea. Many smaller tea farms pick their tea by hand. Most teas grown in the US are sold online or by mail.

The Charleston Tea Garden in South Carolina is the only big tea farm in the US. It covers 127 acres. Smaller tea farms can be found in Alabama, Hawaii, Oregon, South Carolina, and Washington. Some new farms are also starting in Mississippi, New York, and Texas. These new farms are still growing and are not yet selling tea regularly to everyone.

History of Tea Growing in the US

People first tried to grow tea for business in the Americas in 1744. This happened in Colonial Georgia. Tea seeds were sent to a special garden in Savannah. The first time tea plants successfully grew in the colonies was in 1772. This was on Skidaway Island near Savannah.

In 1863, a newspaper called The New York Times reported something interesting. They said tea plants were found growing naturally in parts of Western Maryland and Pennsylvania. This news made people interested in growing tea for money. In 1880, the US Government hired John Jackson. He was an expert tea grower from India. He tried to grow tea plants in Liberty County, Georgia, that had been planted 30 years earlier. But this attempt did not work out.

The Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm Colony also grew tea for a short time in California in the 1870s. This colony is thought to be the first Japanese settlement in North America.

Tea in Hawaii

Tea plants arrived in Hawaii in 1887. They were grown for business until 1892. It's not clear why tea growing stopped there. But historians think that higher wages in Hawaii were a reason. It cost more to pay workers there than in other big tea-growing places like Asia and Africa. Also, coffee was cheaper to grow, and it was a strong competitor.

In the 1960s, two companies, Lipton and A&B, worked together. They wanted to see if they could grow tea for business in Hawaii. Both companies decided not to open tea farms in Hawaii. Instead, they chose to open farms in Latin America.

South Carolina's Tea Story

Junius Smith successfully grew tea for business in Greenville, South Carolina. He did this from 1848 until he passed away in 1853. After him, Dr. Alexis Forster tried growing tea in Georgetown, South Carolina. This attempt lasted from 1874 until his death in 1879.

In the 1870s, about 200 acres of land near Summerville, South Carolina, were used for a tea experiment. They used seeds from China, India, and Japan. Later, a new leader decided the climate was not right. So, the Newington Plantation near Summerville was closed.

But Congress later gave $10,000 for a second experimental tea farm. This farm was called Pinehurst Plantation. It was located very close to the old one. Dr. Charles Shepard led this new effort. The Newington Plantation became very successful under his care. A report in 1887 said it produced 12,000 pounds of tea each year.

By 1893, the Pinehurst plants were ready for their first harvest. Dr. Shepard helped get workers for the fields. He opened a school and made tea-picking part of the lessons. This helped students get an education they might not have had otherwise. Dr. Shepard's final report showed that picking the tea leaves was the biggest cost. This was about half of all labor costs. But he still believed tea could be grown profitably.

However, selling his tea to big markets in the US was hard. Shipping costs made it cheaper for people in places like Chicago to buy tea from China. Even so, Pinehurst produced award-winning teas until Dr. Shepard's death in 1915. The farm then closed and was left alone until 1963.

In 1963, The Lipton Tea Company was worried about problems in countries that grew tea. So, they paid to move the remaining tea plants from Pinehurst. They moved them to a former potato farm on Wadmalaw Island. Lipton ran an experimental tea farm there.

In 1987, Lipton sold the farm to Mack Fleming and Bill Hall. They turned the experimental farm into a working tea garden. The Charleston Tea Garden used a special machine, like a tobacco harvester, to pick the tea. The Charleston Tea Plantation sold tea by mail order called American Classic Tea. They also made Sam's Choice Instant Tea, sold in Sam's Club stores. American Classic Tea has been the official tea of the White House since 1987.

The plantation was losing money and almost went bankrupt. In 2003, the Bigelow Tea Company bought it for $1.28 million. It was closed for a while to be updated. The goal was to attract tourists and earn more money. The garden reopened in January 2006 and offers free tours to visitors.

Tea in Alabama

As part of Lipton's study in South Carolina, a small tea station was set up in Fairhope, Alabama. Other places in the Southern US also had these stations. The tea plants in Fairhope were destroyed by a hurricane soon after they were planted. So, the station was closed.

However, the person in charge of that station saved some seeds and cuttings. These were used to start a private tea farm nearby. It is now called the Fairhope Tea Plantation. It is owned by Donnie Barratt, the son of the station supervisor. This plantation still produces small amounts of tea. It is sold at a nearby gift shop.

Recent Tea Production

In 2000, a plant expert named Francis Zee found a type of Camellia sinensis. This tea plant can grow well in Hawaii's tropical weather and volcanic soil. The University of Hawaii at Manoa and the University of Hawaii at Hilo started a study. They worked with the United States Department of Agriculture to grow tea in Hawaii.

Hawaii's sugar industry has been shrinking. So, growing tea is seen as a possible new crop. Around 2003, Hawaii had about 5 acres of land growing tea. By 2005, that number jumped to about 80 acres.

In 2010, a farm in Burlington, Washington had about 5 acres of land growing tea.

As of 2013, Minto Island Growers near Salem, Oregon started selling small amounts of their own tea.

New Tea Farms Developing

• The Great Mississippi Tea Company started in 2012 in Brookhaven, Mississippi. They are now making teas and offering tours.
• Finger Lakes Tea Company in upstate New York has also started planting tea plants. They plan to have tea for sale in 2016.
• East Texas Tea Company in Mount Vernon, Texas began growing tea in 2009. They sell their tea privately.
• Table Rock Tea Company, Ltd. in Upstate South Carolina started growing tea in 2008. They are now making tea and offering tours.
• Atealier (formerly East Texas Tea Company) in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho began growing tea in 2015. They expanded in 2016 with new types of seeds. The area's climate is good for tea growing. They expect to have tea ready for sale in about 2 to 4 years.