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The tea plant, Camellia sinensis, is an evergreen shrub of the family Theaceae. Its leaves are brewed into tea. The flowers are white, 2.5 to 3.5 cm across, with six to eight petals. They bud in the leaf axils and can be solitary or have up to three in a cluster.

Volatile compounds

Tea flowers have been examined at three blooming stages: unopened buds, half-opened flowers and fully opened flowers. Their volatiles are dominated by alcohols, aldehydes and heterocyclic compounds, with variations across stages. Linalool is the only volatile compound with an ACI above 27 in all samples. Half-opened flowers have the most volatile compounds, including high levels of linalool and its oxides. In half-opened flowers, acetophenone, which imparts a sweet odor, is the most prominent aroma contributor. Phenylethyl alcohol and methyl salicylate are notable contributors in fully opened flowers. Fully opened flowers scored 7.39 for powdery odor in sensory evaluation, and this powdery odor could add a note to beverages and other products.

Tea flowers on the plant

Tea plant blossoming generally occurs from September to December. Since asexual propagation was applied to tea plants, the flowers have been regarded as a waste resource that competes with the leaves for water and nutrients. Chemicals such as ethephon and α-naphthalene acetic acid have been used to suppress blossoming, to promote the yield and quality of tea leaves. The yield of tea flowers is 3000 to 12,000 kg per year per hectare of plantation. Fresh tea flowers, especially open flowers, have high water content and very active polyphenol oxidases, so they oxidize easily and turn brown. Flowers at the unopened stage can be stored easily for a relatively long time.

White tea

White tea generally features young or minimally processed leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Its name derives from the fine silvery-white hairs on the unopened buds of the tea plant.

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