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What does the term second flush mean in 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.

In tea cultivation, the term second flush refers to the second growth of new shoots on the tea plant during the growing season.1

This period is significant because it is associated with the production of high-quality tea. For instance, when the China variety of the tea plant is grown at high altitudes, such as in Darjeeling, the second flush produces tea with particularly valuable flavor. Similarly, the dark-leaved Assam variety produces very fine quality "golden tip" teas during this time, with the quality often correlated to the presence of "tips" or "down" on the leaves.1