Tea: Tea Production in America

Tea growing and processing in America has been tried repeatedly, but even the most promising efforts have resulted in limited commercial success. Congress encouraged experiments in tea growing in the South as early as 1848, but the most serious attempt was made in Summerville, South Carolina, from around 1889 to 1915. With assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Pinehurst Tea Plantation, run by Dr. Charles U. Shepard, produced green, oolong, and black teas, which were sold commercially. However, when Shepard died, the effort ceased until the 1960s and following decades, when a series of owners worked to revive the plantation.