Photo: AxelBoldt at en.wikipedia — Public domain · source
Survives zone 7 through 9
A LEAF crop. Shading before harvest raises umami (matcha/gyokuro) — a quality technique, not a need.
- Hardiness
- Zone 7 to 9
- Habit
- Shrub
- Edible part
- Leaf
- Ripens
- Spring–autumn (leaf flushes)
- Mature size
- Shrub 1–2 m; EXCELLENT in containers
- Light
- Full sun to partial — the plant needs good light; shading is a leaf-quality technique (matcha), not a requirement
- Soil pH
- 5.0–6.5 — ⚠ acid-loving
- Environment
- Subtropical montane
- Status
- Cultivated
- Years to fruit
- 3–4 yrs
- Pollination
- SELF-INCOMPATIBLE — plant more than one
Growing guide
Fertilizing. Benefits from an acid-forming, balanced fertilizer formulated for camellias or azaleas, applied in mid-spring and again in early summer to support leaf flush; avoid lime, high-phosphorus feeds, and fertilizing during fall/winter dormancy.
How it spreads. Slow-growing and stays in a discrete upright clump; does not sucker, self-seed, or spread — left unpruned it eventually becomes a small tree rather than colonizing an area.
Growing tips. Tolerates hard annual pruning after flowering to keep it at a manageable, easy-to-harvest height (commercial bushes are kept below about 1.5 m); scale insects are the most serious pest, with aphids and spider mites also possible, and container-grown plants are more cold-sensitive than in-ground specimens and need protection in climates colder than roughly zone 7.