What it's Like to Visit the Charleston Tea Garden - AFAR

"Set on 127 acres of Wadmalaw Island and billed as the largest tea garden in North America, this secluded site feels a world away from Charleston: a white welcome center and creaking wooden porch lead to rows of Camellia sinensis that gleam under a wide sky and release a floral, earthy scent on the breeze. Visits are free (a 45-minute guided tour costs $15) and typically begin from a red trolley; guests sample estate offerings such as Charleston Breakfast (a rich, full-bodied blend) and Peachy Peach Tea, and the gift shop sells tea-based body products and even tea Popsicles. The operation began as a potato farm in 1963 with plantings from nearby Summerville, was commercialized by William Barclay “Bill” Hall in 1987, and was acquired by Bigelow Tea Company in 2003; the word “plantation” was removed from the name in 2020, though historical references remain in videos and narration. More than 300 varieties grow on the grounds, producing nine teas, and plants require five to seven years from cutting to harvest—conditions supported by an average of about 48 inches of rain yearly that allow both black and green teas to thrive. A sign at the farm underscores its remoteness (the next nearest tea gardens are thousands of miles away), and staff advise avoiding rideshares because of long pickup waits." - Victoria M. Walker