Tea plantations

Camellia sinensis is a species of evergreen shrub or small tree whose leaves and leaf buds are used to produce tea.

In the Azores archipelago this plant is grown on some plantations, especially on São Miguel Island and these are the only known Camellia sinensis tea plantations in all of Europe.
The mild climate and a rich volcanic soil are favorable for tea production

The first tea plants arrived in the Azores from Brazil in the 18th century and initially it was an ornamental plant

The tea plantations and the manufacture were later boosted by the “Society for the Promotion of Agriculture”, which in 1878 took two Chinese to S. Miguel to teach the locals the process of production.

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