Time for coffee and tea
Indicator Plants
The chemical and mechanical analysis of soil is of great value when evaluating land for tea growth. Nonetheless it is important to take into account other factors such as naturally growing vegetation in the area; these plants can indicate whether a soil will have the good drainage, high acidic soils that tea requires for growth.
One of the original plant indicators that was used to choose places to grow tea is Albizas. This was used ad Albizas forests contain the prehistoric regions of tea growth. Bracken is seen as a good indicator of soil fertility in both Sri lanka and South India.
The most reliable plant indicators for tea are plants that accumulate aluminium, this has been used in Zimbabwe and other east African countries. Melastomaceae is an easily recognised plant that has bright flower and a venation in their leaves. Other plants often used for indication of good ground for tea growth are also members of the Dissotis family, D. brazzaei and D. violecea.
Other plants used as indicators of land quality for tea growth include members of the Rubiaceae such as Craterispermum laurinum, and ferns of the genus Gleichenia.