The One and Only U.S. Tea Plantation

ByJulie Klassen
9 Comments

When I write about tea-drinking in my novels, I am thinking of tea grown in China or India, but last week I visited the only tea plantation in North America. The Charleston Tea Plantation is located on Wadmalaw Island about 20 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina.

Authors Michelle Griep and Julie Klassen at the plantation.

I was in Charleston for a retreat with my Literary Agency (Books & Such) and enjoyed spending time with agents and fellow authors, learning, sharing our lives and writing challenges, and praying for one another. We also had some time for fun along the way, touring both historic Charleston and the nearby tea plantation.

Authors on the trolley tour: acres of tea bushes and lots of laughs

Our visit to the tea plantation began with a trolley tour around the tea fields and green house with informative and funny commentary by our guide. Later, we toured the facility where freshly-cut leaves are transformed into delicious tea.


Some items from the gift shop I couldn’t resist.

Of course, a highlight for many of us was the gift shop, which offered free tea samples (hot or iced) and other fun gifts.

Did you know there was a tea plantation in the U.S.? If you’d like to learn more about its history, you can read it here. Thanks for stopping by today!

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JULIE KLASSEN loves all things Jane—Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. She worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. Three of her novels have won the Christy Award for Historical Romance. Julie and her husband have two sons and live in St. Paul, Minnesota.

9 Comments

  2. What fun to learn there’s a tea plantation in the US. I had no idea! I will have to add that to my bucket list. Thanks for sharing! The photos are lovely!

  3. I love Charleston! We used to go there during spring break. It’s such a great place. So glad you had a chance to visit. I also read a cozy mystery series by Laura Childs that is set in Charleston, and the main character owns a tea shop – lots of wonderful tea tips and recipes.

  4. I’ve been to Charleston several times but never been able to venture beyond the historic city area because we didn’t have a rental car. That looks like somewhere I’d love to go! Thanks for sharing!

  5. I am from Charleston! Next time, please do a book reading or stop at a bookstore. I have all of your books, and I would love to hear you read an excerpt from any of them.

  7. All of my family have been to visit the Charleston Tea Plantation except me. One of these days I plan to go. Last year the Table Rock Tea Company started producing tea in upstate South Carolina. I don’t know that it’s considered a plantation though. They do have tours, grow, and produce the tea there. I believe that Hawaii has a couple of tea plantations as well.

    You all must have had so much fun with the Books and Such group on a retreat. Do most of the authors know one another personally or did you meet a lot of them on this trip whom you had not known previously?

  9. I had no idea! Like you, I thought it all came from China or India. Sounds like a lovely place to visit!

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