What climate conditions are needed for tea cultivation?

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Neatly planted rows of green tea bushes stretch across rolling fields with Mount Fuji, capped with snow, rising in the background in Japan. — tea Rows of tea (*Camellia sinensis*) growing in Japan, with Mount Fuji in the background.

For successful tea cultivation, climate is one of the three primary considerations, alongside soil acidity and labor availability.

Key climatic requirements include:

Rainfall: A minimum annual rainfall of 1,140 to 1,270 mm (45 to 50 inches) is necessary, with proper distribution throughout the growing season.
Temperature and Growth: The growth rate of the tea plant is influenced by temperature fluctuations. If a cool season occurs—defined as having average temperatures 11 °C (20 °F) or more below those of the warm season—the plant will enter a dormant period, even if that cool season is the wetter one.

While the China variety of the tea plant is noted for being a hardy plant capable of withstanding cold winters, specific environmental conditions remain critical for optimal production of the tea beverage.1