Abstract: ‘Zhushan Heidaye’,a new Camellia sinensis cultivar,was selected and bred from the local varieties in Zhushan,Hubei Province using the single plant selection technique. It is a shrub type,medium leaf and extremely early sprouting cultivar,whose“one bud and one leaf”stage occurs in early to mid-March,approximately 13.3 days earlier than the control‘Fuding Dabaicha’. This cultivar exhibits vigorous growth and high bud density,the fresh leaf yield was up to 8 583 kg · hm^-2. The content of water extract,tea polyphenol,amino acid and caffeine in one bud and two leaves picked in spring were 41.5%,26.3%,4.5% and 3.5%,respectively. It is suitable for processing excellent green tea,which exhibits excellent quality with a mellow,thick,sweet and fresh taste,as well as high floral aroma. It shows strong resistance to cold and drought,along with notable resistance to tea anthracnose disease and Empoasca onukii. This cultivar is suitable to be cultivated in Hubei Province and the region with similar climate condition.

Key words: Camellia sinensis, extremely early sprouting, high resistance, cultivar