Cultivars

Wuyi tea cultivar commonly sold as pure-cultivar Da Hong Pao; the commercial name should be distinguished from a verified mother-bush pedigree.

Wuyi cultivar named for its cinnamon / cassia-like spicy aroma; one of the two workhorse cultivars of modern yancha alongside Shuixian.

Large-leaf northern Fujian cultivar, mellow and thick in the mouth; the most planted cultivar in Wuyishan and the basis of Lao Cong (old-bush) Shuixian.

The broad group of large-leaf tea plants of Yunnan; the pu'er standard requires sun-dried maocha made from this material.

Traditional Wuyi mingcong used for rock oolong and documented as a distinct accession in comparative germplasm research.

Traditional Wuyi mingcong used for rock oolong; comparatively early spring picking was recorded in a study of ten Wuyi accessions.

Wuyi tea cultivar with pale yellow-green young leaves and a documented light-sensitive leaf-colour response.

Traditional Wuyi mingcong, also written 半天腰, documented separately in comparative research on Wuyi tea germplasm.

Wuyi mingcong documented as a separate accession in comparative research; its relationship to Da Hong Pao mother bushes remains a question of provenance.

Seed-propagated large-leaf tea population associated with Mengku in Shuangjiang, Yunnan; a landrace rather than one uniform clone.

Seed-grown small-tree population from Fenghuang Shan, parent of all Fenghuang Dancong lines; specified for planting as 华茶17号 (GSCT 17). Not Wuyi Shuixian.

Clonal, early-sprouting, medium-leaf small tree from Bailiu village in Fuding. Its very downy buds are the classic Silver Needle material; it was approved as a national cultivar in 1985.

Clonal, early-sprouting, large-leaf small tree from Fuding, taller and more upright than Fuding Dabai. With Dabai it is the main Fuding white-tea cultivar; approved nationally in 1985.

Clonal, late-sprouting, large-leaf small tree from Tieshan town, Zhenghe; the basis of Zhenghe Silver Needle and White Peony. Approved nationally in 1985.

Clonal, late-sprouting, medium-leaf shrub from Xiping, Anxi; the only cultivar allowed in Anxi Tieguanyin. National number GS13007-1985.

Early-sprouting, medium-leaf small tree from Meizhuang (Luoyan), Huqiu, Anxi; the cultivar of Huangjin Gui. National number GS13008-1985.

Medium-sprouting, medium-leaf shrub from Nanyan, Yaoyang, Xiping; oolong only, close to Tieguanyin in aroma. National number GS13010-1985.

Fast-growing, very downy, medium-leaf shrub from Fumei village, Daping, Anxi; flowers freely but sets almost no seed. National number GS13006-1985.

Large, strongly bullate-leaved cultivar named after the Buddha's-hand citron; Fujian provincial approval 闽认茶1985014. Basis of Yongchun Foshou.

National-level cultivar selected by Raoping farmers at Lingtou, Fubin, from Fenghuang Shuixian stock; now also the main cultivar around Fenghuang (as 白叶单丛).

Traditional, late-sprouting Taiwan cultivar valued for oolong and Baozhong, with relatively weak drought and pest resistance.

TRES cultivar TTES 12, 臺農8號 × 硬枝紅心, named in 1981: vigorous, high-yielding, mid-season, with a natural milk aroma; Taiwan's second cultivar by area.

TRES cultivar TTES 13, 硬枝紅心 × 臺農80號, named in 1981 with Jinxuan: more upright and less vigorous, high aroma; for Baozhong and oolong only.

Local Taiwan cultivar selected by Muzha farmers: early, vigorous and cold-tolerant, giving six or seven harvests a year; now mainly grown in Mingjian, Nantou.

Local Taiwan cultivar with plump, very downy buds: the main cultivar for Oriental Beauty, grown mostly in Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli.

Early-sprouting green-tea cultivar selected from the Xihu Longjing seed-grown population; a widely planted cultivar, not a synonym for the Longjing tea style.

Very early clonal green-tea cultivar bred from radiation-induced variants of Longjing 43 by the CAAS Tea Research Institute; nationally appraised in 2010.

Clonal cultivar selected from an albino variant in Anji’s local tea population. Its pale spring leaves are used for green tea; the leaf colour does not make it a white-tea processing category.

Taiwan black-tea cultivar named in 1999, bred from a Burmese large-leaf mother plant and a Taiwan wild-tea father plant. A major cultivar in Yuchi, Nantou.

Aromatic Taiwan black-tea cultivar named in 2008. Selected as FKK-22 from open-pollinated offspring of FKK-1, itself a Kyang × Kimen cross.

Small-leaf Taiwan black-tea cultivar selected from an open-pollinated Qimen-derived population. The breeding paper records formal naming on 24 July 2018.

Seed-propagated large-leaf population from Nannuo Mountain in Menghai, used for black tea, Yunnan green tea and pu’er. A regional landrace, not a single clone.

Seed-propagated large-leaf population originating in Fengqing, strongly associated with Dianhong production and also used for Yunnan green tea and pu’er.

Clonal cultivar selected from Nannuo Mountain’s tea population by the Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Widely used material with suitability for several tea-processing styles.

Purple-shoot cultivar selected from Yunnan large-leaf material. Its purple buds, young leaves and stems distinguish this named clone from generic “purple-bud” tea.

White-shoot cultivar selected from a natural albino plant in Jiande’s local Jiukeng population. Distinct from Anji’s Baiye 1; registered in 2020.

Light-sensitive yellow-shoot cultivar selected from a natural variant in Tiantai, Zhejiang. The breeder lists it for flat or curled green tea, not automatically yellow tea.

Seed-propagated tea population associated with Jiukeng in Chun’an, Zhejiang. An important source of breeding material, distinct from named clonal selections made from it.

Traditional seed-propagated Longjing tea population, distinct from selected clones such as Longjing 43. “Qunti” identifies a population, not one genetically uniform plant.

Early-sprouting Taiwanese cultivar, TTES 17, named in 1983; used for oolong and black tea.

TTES 19, a Taiwanese cultivar named in 2004 and recommended for Baozhong processing.

TTES 20, named in 2004; a Taiwanese cultivar used for Baozhong and high-mountain oolong.

TTES 22, an early-sprouting Taiwanese cultivar named in 2014, with broad processing suitability.

TTES 24, selected from Taiwan’s native mountain tea at Yongkang in Taitung and named in 2019.

TTES 25, a purple-shoot selection from open-pollinated Burma material, suited to green and black tea.

Fujian-bred hybrid of Tieguanyin and Huangdan, developed for oolong production.

Early-sprouting Fujian hybrid of Huang Guanyin and Huangdan, suitable for several tea-processing categories.

Early-sprouting, medium-leaf cultivar bred for green tea from Pulian Tongyuan and Longjing 43.

Early-sprouting green-tea cultivar bred from Georgia No. 6 and a first-generation descendant of Fuding Dabaicha.

CAAS selection from Yaji tea germplasm, suitable for black tea and baked green tea.

Early-sprouting, medium-leaf cultivar selected from naturally crossed offspring of Hunan Yuntaishan tea.

Very early-sprouting cultivar bred from Zhongcha 108 and Longjing 43, suitable for green and black tea.

Very early, small-leaf green-tea cultivar selected from the Muhe population and promoted for mechanical harvesting.

Early, small-leaf green-tea cultivar selected from the Huangshan population, with suitability for mechanical harvesting.

Taiwanese cultivar released in June 2024 for beverage-tea production, with upright shoots suited to mechanical harvesting.

Traditional Anxi cultivar suitable for oolong, black and green tea; also known as Daye Meizhan.

Clonal selection from local Qilan tea material in Pinghe, Fujian, associated with the region’s orchid-scented oolong.

Fujian cultivar from a Tieguanyin × Huangdan cross, used for aromatic oolong and black tea.

Light-sensitive yellow-leaf cultivar selected from a bud mutation in local tea material at Yuyao, Zhejiang.

Early clonal cultivar selected in Fujian from naturally crossed Fuding Dabaicha and Yunnan large-leaf material.

Large-leaf selection from Nannuoshan tea material, also recorded under the newer name Yuncha 14.

Registered Chinese tea cultivar associated with Shucheng, Anhui, and used in green-tea production.

Very early-sprouting green-tea cultivar selected from Baojing Huangjincha population material in Hunan.

Large-leaf clonal cultivar selected from Yunnan large-leaf material by Guangdong’s tea research institute, used for black tea.

Clonal selection from Renhua white-haired tea material in Guangdong, suitable for black and white tea.

Clonal selection from Renhua white-haired tea material, developed for black and white tea.

Early cultivar selected from naturally crossed Tieguanyin offspring, suitable for black, oolong and green tea.

Guangdong cultivar selected from the Fenghuang Dancong population and approved provincially in 2013.

Guangdong black-tea cultivar selected from Yingde tea population material.

Large-leaf black-tea cultivar bred from Yinghong 1 and Lechang Baimaocha.

Large-leaf black-tea cultivar selected from Yinghong 1 × Qimen tea material.

Early-sprouting Fujian cultivar used for aromatic oolong, black and green tea.

Medium-sprouting green-tea cultivar selected in Hangzhou from naturally crossed Fuding Dabaicha and Yunnan large-leaf material.

Early-sprouting Hangzhou selection from naturally crossed Fuding Dabaicha and Yunnan large-leaf material, suitable for black and green tea.

Early green-tea cultivar selected by CAAS from the Xihu Longjing population.

Green-tea cultivar selected from the Longjing population by CAAS, distinct from Longjing 43.

Seed-propagated tea population originating in Qimen, Anhui, associated with Qimen black tea and also suitable for green tea.

Hunan cultivar selected from the Anhua population, suitable for black and green tea.

Green-tea cultivar bred by the Hangzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences from Yingshuang and Cuifeng.

Very early green-tea cultivar from Yongjia, Zhejiang, also known as Wuniuzao.

Hubei green-tea cultivar bred from Fuding Dabaicha and Meizhan.

Early green-tea clone selected from the Mengshan tea population in Sichuan.

Early cultivar selected by Zhejiang University for both green and black tea.

Early Sichuan green-tea cultivar selected from a variant plant of Zhenong 117.

Very early, densely downy green-tea cultivar selected from the Anhua population.

Medium-season Hunan cultivar combining Baihaozao and Tieguanyin parentage.

Early Hunan cultivar bred from Baihaozao and Gaoyaqi for green and black tea.

Taiwanese black-tea cultivar selected from Shan material and named in 1973.

Taiwanese black-tea cultivar selected from Jaipuri material and named in 1973.

Traditional Taiwan cultivar associated with Sanxia green teas, including Biluochun and Longjing.