How old is the Charleston Tea Plantation and why do you consider it to be a part of history?
The Charleston Tea Plantation got its official start in 1987,
but its true history goes way back. In the 1700's the
Camellia Sinensis first arrived in the United States from China.
Several attempts were made in South Carolina over the next 150
years to propagate and produce tea for consumption, but none were
triumphant. Not until 1888, when Dr. Charles Shepard founded
the Pinehurst Tea Plantation in Summerville, South Carolina did
American grown tea become a reality. In Summerville, Dr.
Shepard created award winning teas until his death in 1915.
For the next 48 years the tea plants grew wild at
Pinehurst.
In 1963, a 127 acre potato farm located on Wadmalaw Island in
the Lowcountry of South Carolina was purchased and Shepard's tea
plants were transplanted from Pinehurst to the farm. This
farm eventually became known as the Charleston Tea
Plantation. Every Camellia Sinensis plant growing on the
grounds of the Plantation is a direct descendants of Dr. Shepard's
1888 crop, making the Charleston Tea Plantation a living part
of American history!
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