Camellia sinensis is a species of evergreen shrub or small tree in the flowering plant family Theaceae.Its leaves, leaf buds, and stems can be used to produce tea.Common names include tea plant, tea shrub, and tea tree (unrelated to Melaleuca alternifolia, the source of tea tree oil, or the genus Leptospermum commonly called tea tree).. White tea, yellow tea, green tea, oolong, dark tea (which ...