What's in
the Bush?
The flavor in your cup begins not at the factory but in the plant. Which plant it comes from, and how wide different varieties grow together, determine everything that comes next.
What is a cultivar?
A cultivar is a cultivated variety of a plant, selected because it reliably produces something desirable, better flavor, higher yield, resistance to cold or disease, and then propagated to preserve those traits.
In tea, cultivar selection is the difference between a field that performs predictably and one that surprises you every season. The cultivar names in Darjeeling almost always refers to the estate where the plant was first identified.
The two parent plants
All tea comes from Camellia sinensis, but the species has two distinct varieties that produce very different results.
The British planted China sinensis seeds in Darjeeling from 1841, because the variety could handle the altitude and cold. Over a century of cultivation, those plants crossed with Assam assamica varieties deliberately and by accident. The result being that virtually every major Darjeeling cultivar today is a hybrid of the two.
The famous cultivars of Darjeeling
The Tea Research Association has registered around 30 cultivars suited to Darjeeling. A handful dominate the conversation.
Why is single-cultivar tea rare in Darjeeling
Most Darjeeling tea, from both estates and small farmers, is not from a single cultivar. The reason is straightforward: most gardens were planted from seed, not cuttings.
A seed-planted field contains dozens of genetically distinct plants growing side by side. Every plant is its own individual. The tea made from that field is a blend before it enters the factory, by design and history. This is how traditional Darjeeling gardens were established, and it is the reality for most small-farmer plots on khasmahal land.
A seed-planted field is a population, and the tea it produces is its portrait.
Access to clonal material is also a structural barrier. Establishing a plot of AV2 or B157 requires nursery cuttings, infrastructure to root and grow them, and time before the plot produces anything sellable. Most small farmers lack this access. The mixed fields they work are passed down, not chosen.
For this reason, genuinely single-cultivar teas in Darjeeling are exceptionally rare. And when they do exist, they offer a rare glimpse into the pure expression of a single cultivar, reflecting not only the plant itself but also the precision, patience, and access required to cultivate it separately in a region historically defined by diversity and mixed-seed-grown fields.
While both single-cultivar and mixed-field teas are enjoyable, recognizing which one you have in hand influences what you look for in the flavor.
If you’re curious to explore the diversity of Darjeeling, our newest spring 2026 collection offers a rare opportunity to experience both single-cultivar and mixed-clonal teas grown by small farmers:
Spring Moonlight - Single cultivar P312