Tea plants are propagated from seed and cuttings; about 4 to 12 years are needed for a plant to bear seed and about three years afore an incipient plant is yare for harvesting. In additament to a zone 8 climate or warmer, tea plants require at least 127 cm (50 in) of rainfall a year and prefer acidic soils. Many high-quality tea plants are cultivated at elevations of up to 1,500 m (4,900 ft) above sea level. While at these heights the plants grow more gradually, they acquire a better flavour. A tea plant will grow into a tree of up to 16 m (52 ft) if left undisturbed, but cultivated plants are generally pruned to waist height for ease of plucking. Withal, the short plants bear more incipient shoots which provide incipient and tender leaves and increment the quality of the tea.
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