A blooming flower tea (also called flowering tea) is a hand-tied bundle of dried flowers that opens into a full bloom when you pour hot water over it. Each ball unfurls slowly over about 3 minutes, revealing the flower arrangement inside — lily, rose, jasmine, chrysanthemum, or carnation depending on which one you choose.
These work well as a small gift, an after-dinner moment, or just something different for a quiet afternoon. The bloom itself is the main event — the flavour is light and floral, more about the experience than a strong tea taste.
Two types to choose from
Pure blossoms (caffeine-free): Lily, Chrysanthemum, Mixed Flower. These are dried flowers only, no tea leaves. Completely caffeine-free with a gentle, light flavour. Good for evening or for people who don't drink caffeine.
Tea with flowers (light caffeine): Carnation + Green Tea, Jasmine + Chrysanthemum + Green Tea, Lily + Black Tea, Chrysanthemum + Black Tea. These combine flowers with tea leaves, giving a slightly fuller flavour with low caffeine content.
Brewing
Place one tea ball in a glass teapot or tall glass with 400ml of 90°C water. Wait about 3 minutes for the bloom, then enjoy over 2-3 infusions. A glass teapot makes the biggest difference here — you want to see the flower opening.
Bulk savings
Grab 6 in a gift box for $36 (saves $6 vs buying individually). Our Blooming Flower Tea Gift Box comes with three pure blossoms and three tea-with-flower varieties, ready for gifting.
Available at our Salamanca Tea Bar in Hobart — come in and watch one bloom over a cup.
Joanne's tip
Jo, one of our regulars, told us these are "beautiful to look at as they bloom and delicious to drink." I like recommending these to people visiting our Tea Bar who want something they haven't seen before. If you enjoy floral teas in general, have a look at our flower tea collection — it includes loose-leaf options like Jasmine Dragon Pearls and Osmanthus Flower Tea alongside the blooming teas.
About blooming tea
Blooming flower tea originated in China's Yunnan province. Artisans hand-tie dried flowers around tea leaves using cotton thread, shaping them into tight balls. The craft takes practice — each ball needs to be tied carefully so the flower opens evenly when steeped.
The tradition combines the Chinese appreciation for tea with visual artistry. In recent years, blooming teas have become popular globally as gifts and for entertaining, because they turn tea-making into something people want to watch and share.
Storage
Store in a cool, dry place away from light and moisture. Blooming tea balls keep well for 12 months or more when sealed properly.
Visit Our Hobart Tea Bar: Find us at Salamanca Art Centre where we've been sharing tea culture since 2022.
Tea Experience: Joanne has spent over 10 years learning tea traditions - from Chinese gongfu brewing in Beijing to Japanese matcha ceremonies here in Hobart.
Local Recognition: Featured in The Mercury, ABC, SBS Chinese, and Tasmanian community publications for bringing authentic tea culture to our community.
Carefully Selected Teas & Teaware: We select Chinese, Japanese and Tasmanian teas, plus teaware that we personally use and enjoy.
Easy Returns: Something not quite right? Email us within 7 days and we'll make it right.
A very special tea gift - beautiful to watch bloom and lovely to drink
J
Jo
Such lovely tea
Theses teas are beautiful to look at as they bloom and delicious to drink m
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Well-packaged and resealable to keep your tea fresh. Tea is delicious: peachy without being too heavy or overly sweet. I used it for hot tea and fresh iced tea and it was heavenly both ways.
This was a gift so I didn’t drink all of the teas in it (I did buy a few of them myself though and they were lovely), but it was very beautifully packed, and the recipient was thrilled to receive it.
Very very good tea the Mandarin added not so much a citrus flavour but a very good citrus scent with the classic puerh earthiness will buy more in next order
