OK, let me have it. I saw this @ L's yesterday and couldn't resist. Tell me how and why I won't end up with any "homegrown tea."

Because you only bought one plant.

Tea plants have the same requirements as any other Camellia. I had one until recently but daughter had several so I have it to her. Maybe someday she will get to drink a cup of tea from her own tea plants. The flowers are small white (sometimes pink) lop-sided single petaled Camellia flowers. Mine bloomed in winter.

Forgot to mention: It will be hardy outside in your area

From my reading, it seems like the 1st step is to get it branching profusely since I'll want to harvest the top 2 leaves per stem.

I've never had a problem with mine branching. But if you decide to prune, grow more from your cuttings. Mid to late summer is the best time. Two node cuttings, one node in the soil. Pinch the tip node out of the top cutting so it will branch. They should root by spring. Spray the cutting with a bio-fungicide before you plant it.

Thank you! I have already snipped a cutting. : ) The plant is tall & thin, right away I nipped the growth bud out of the center of the few stems.

The leaves are so beautiful and thick. I think I'm seeing flower buds. Will know soon.

Status update. This did bloom later in the year, evergreen over winter, growing slowly as predicted. I'm worried I put it in too much shade. I'd love to see pics of this plant in people's landscape. TIA!

watching

so when will it be big enough for a cup of tea?

I haven't investigated that far yet. I fell in love with the leaves, and then the idea that someday I might make a cup, or somebody behind me might after I'm gone.
Pushed my wallet right open. Need to know, eventually, how many leaves per cup, or some useful ratio.

Mine is still in a pot. I do need to "dig it up" rather carefully. So as not to tear up, any roots which may have grown through the holes, in the bottom. To increase the pot size, for it.

Thought it wasn't "self fertile", & takes about a year, to produce ripe seed. (There's at least one, small green seed pod, on it. I'd noticed...

Thought I'd bought it last year. (Previously found a three foot tall one, locally, around 5 years ago.) For only $9.99, in a three gallon pot.
'Course it got stolen, (still in the Nursery pot,) while in "full bloom".

This one I've got, from either last year, or the year before last, during Spring...
(There's Iris stalks laying down on the ground, nearby it... been that windy, recently.)
C. sinensis. (While larger sized leaves, just might indicate "Assam" type, of a tea plant.) Possibly from Northern India.
The plantations, keep them like finely pruned, shrubs. (From the repetitious removal, of leaf tips.)

Thank you, Shawn. Are you planning to put yours in the ground in a permanent spot?

Sorry about your Iris! My Gladiolus always do that. I cut the blooms & put them in a vase.