Wild Tea Collection
From the ancient wild tea trees of Shennongjia.
Where Tea Runs Wild
Deep inside the Golden Snub‑nosed Monkey National Nature Reserve – a protected UNESCO forest – ancient tea trees have grown for centuries. These are not cultivated bushes; they are wild, untouched, and governed only by nature.
Government permits required for every harvest
Once a year, a narrow 15‑day window in mid‑April
Zero intervention – no fertilisers, no pruning, no irrigation
Shennongjia is honoured as China’s first UNESCO Triple Crown site– Man and Biosphere Reserve, World Geopark, and World Heritage Site – and it lies between the Shennong River and the legendary mountains where tea was first discovered.
Where Few Dare to Go
The wild tea trees grow deep inside the reserve, at altitudes from 800 to over 3000 metres. There are no roads – only ancient paths known to the local villagers who have walked them for generations. The journey requires crossing streams, climbing steep slopes, and navigating narrow cliffs.
Most pickers are elderly, their knowledge passed down over decades. Every picker is insured – a recognition of the risks they face. Falls, sprains, and injuries are real; the forest does not forgive carelessness.
This is why wild tea is so precious. What ends in your cup began with someone risking their safety – climbing where few dare, picking only once a year, and carrying nature’s gift back down the mountain on their shoulders.
The Wisdom of the Ancients
"Wild tea is superior; garden tea is secondary.”
— Lu Yu,The Classic of Tea
Wild tea is the origin of all tea. For thousands of years, before cultivation, tea was gathered from ancient forests – the same forests that still stand in Shennongjia. Wild tea plants have never been domesticated or selected by humans; they grow as nature intended, their genetics shaped by centuries of adaptation to this unique environment.
The result is a tea of rare character: more robust, more complex, and remarkably resilient. Wild teas often yield a bolder, more persistent flavour, with exceptional endurance through multiple infusions. Their nutrient profile is naturally richer – a reflection of the undisturbed soil and the intricate web of life around them.
What makes wild tea truly special is the light it grows under.
Tea bushes thrive on diffused light. In the high mountain forests of Shennongjia, where ancient trees create a natural canopy, the sun’s rays are filtered through leaves and mist. This gentle, scattered light encourages the slow development of amino acids and aromatic compounds – the very substances that give wild tea its depth, sweetness, and lingering finish.
This is a gift that no cultivated garden can replicate.
"The finest sprouts emerge amidst rocky, fertile soils, reaching but a few inches like tender fern fronds unfurling—best gathered while still moist with dawn's dew."
"As for the soil, the best tea grows amidst rocky, gravelly earth; the middling sort on well-drained loam; the poorest in yellow clay."
— Lu Yu, The Classic of Tea
Wild White Tea
Wild Black Tea
Wild Tea by the Numbers
Nature's own blueprint for purity.
800–3005 m
Altitude range of wild tea forests
0+
Tea tree varieties (centuries-old)
0+
Oldest known tea tree (years)
0%
Tea polyphenols (6–8% above average)
0%
Free amino acids
0 mg/kg
Natural selenium
0 mg/kg
Zinc content
~0 kg
Wild White Tea annual yield (current)
~0 kg
Wild Black Tea annual yield (current)
0+ ha
Total wild tea coverage
Once a year
April
April
Harvest frequency · month
0 days
Harvest window (mid-April)
Limited by Nature, Guided by Demand
Our wild teas are produced in small quantities each year,
but we can increase harvest by hiring more experienced pickers when demand grows.
For wholesale inquiries, custom packaging, or sample requests, contact our team.