Tea Sapling

Tea Sapling is a seed that grows into a Tea Bush after 20 days. Once fully grown, a Tea Bush produces one Tea Leaves item each day during the final week of spring, summer, and fall, and during winter as long as it is indoors. Tea Saplings are planted like trees, by placing them on untilled soil or in a Garden Pot. They do not need to be watered, and they will not die; they can even be planted outdoors in winter and continue growing.

Tea Saplings can be obtained in several ways. They are sold by the Traveling Cart, although not frequently, and Caroline sells up to 10 at the Desert Festival for Calico Eggs. If neither option is available, the player can craft them after receiving the recipe in the mail the day after Caroline’s 2-Heart event.

Because Tea Saplings grow without watering and survive year-round, they are useful in a number of low-maintenance setups. A mature Tea Bush can also be used as a permanent fence, which makes it helpful for keeping farm animals contained within a barnyard. Since it does not die, it can remain in place indefinitely once planted.

A few practical points are worth noting:

• The Wild Seeds used in the crafting recipe do not need to all be from the same season.
• Tea Saplings are one of the few plantable items that can be set outdoors in winter and still grow.
• Crafting and selling a Tea Sapling always yields more profit than selling the ingredients separately.