Where It’s Always Tea Time
Tucked away on a small South Carolina island you will find a plantation where it’s always tea time. Wadmalaw Island, located near Charleston, is a hidden treasure of sorts. There you will find the roads are canopied by century-old oak trees, the air is pure and the land is still untouched by developers. Wadmalaw Island is without a doubt steeped in rich southern history.
The island is home to the Charleston Tea Plantation, the only working tea plantation in North America. The nearest similar business is over 4,000 miles away in Brazil. The property was previously owned by Lipton Tea as an experimental station. Two experts in the tea industry purchased the property in 1987, founding the Charleston Tea Plantation.
The growing season is May-October in this 127 acre tea garden comprised of over 150,000 tea bushes. Those 150,000 plus tea bushes include 320 varieties of tea plants. Everything from the rooting, growing, harvesting, drying, grading, tasting and sales takes place at The Charleston Tea Plantation. It is home to the only exposition hall of its kind where visitors can learn from start to finish just how tea is made.
Visitors can take a factory tour, in which they will follow along the steps that transform cut leaves into fully processed black tea. The tour takes about 15 minutes and is followed by a complimentary glass of home-grown freshly brewed ice tea. An added bonus? The tour is free and the teas grown on site can be purchased in the gift shop. All in all, it sounds like a pretty interesting way for a tea lover to spend a day.
Visit the Charleston Tea Plantation’s website: www.charlestonteaplantation.com
