How much you know about Camellia sinensis?

One plant!

This is the first of many facts that surprise even the most enthusiastic tea drinker. There are six basic types of tea--white, green, yellow, oolong, black, and dark all of them originate only from the leaves of Camellia sinensis.

This means that many of the beverages you've assumed are teas are not technically teas at all. Chamomile? Ginger Spice? Licorice Heaven? Jasmine Soothing Nighty Night?

They can be tasty. But they're not tea.

You can call them tisanes (if you're European), infusions (if you're a tea-o-phile), or herbals (if you're Californian). The real stuff is made from the caffeine-containing Camellia sinensis, meaning white, green, yellow, oolong, black, and dark teas are all true teas; anything else is made from other plants.

A general rule of thumb is that if there isn't caffeine, it isn't Camellia sinensis (unless, of course, it's a tea that's been decaffeinated).