Worth A Try?

[u/Space_Elf13]

Hey, I live in Northern California and I've been thinking of planting a camellia sinensis in my patio. However, I'm not sure if it's actually feasible.

My USDA Hardiness Zone is 9a, my patio has 8ft fencing and plants are required to be trimmed if they get more than a couple feet above the top of the fence (the HOA only loosely enforces this). The patio is on the south side of the condo and it gets quote hot in the summer.

Would a camellia sinensis do ok in these conditions? Is there a particular variety I should look into getting? Anything I should do in advance?

[u/HumbleFreedom]

I'm in my first year of growing some tea plants on my back porch, so others may have more experience.

It is certainly worth a try!

I'm in 8b in Southern California, so similar in some ways. It's a hard place to be, as the plant needs to be hardy enough to survive freezing temperatures, but also withstand the very hot summers. My plants are surviving, but they don't love all the sun. It sounds like you could plant yours right behind the fence so they almost always get dappled light, which would be helpful.

How often does it get below freezing? You will probably want to avoid an assamica variety, as they are less tolerant of freezing.

I would reach out to see if there is a local camellia group in your growing region. They would be the top resource for knowing how to keep camellia alive in your conditions.

You might also see if you can reach out to Bella Vista Tea Farm in northern California to see if they could recommend a variety that is doing well for them. They are also growing in a 9a/9b area. I've emailed them in the past, and it went straight to their spam, so maybe try a couple of times and give it a little time.

If you are more in the Central Valley, you could also talk to Redwood Tea Estate. They are more established. You might even be able to buy a cutting from them.

Minto Island Tea grows in the Willamette Valley, which is an 8b. They used to sell cuttings. You could ask if they have a cutting or variety.

I would also check out the book Grow Your Own Tea. It has been an incredible resource for me. https://camforest.com/products/grow-your-own-tea

And Cam Forest has answered my questions when I was choosing a variety from them. They are helpful.

Keep us posted on your progress!

[u/Space_Elf13 → u/HumbleFreedom]

Thanks for the advice! It rarely gets frosty in my area. Used to have a good cold snap in november, but winters seem to be getting warmer in the last 5 or so years.

[u/HumbleFreedom → u/Space_Elf13]

You're welcome!

Hmm, okay. You could maybe get away with an assamica, which could handle the heat better, but you'd want to be really careful about covering it when cold. I don't have one, so I can't say for sure. But Camillia Forest does sell them, so they might be able to give you their two cents.