Is Green Tea Considered an Herbal Tea?

Green tea is not an herbal tea. It comes from the same plant as black and oolong tea, Camellia sinensis, and the three differ mainly in how the leaves are prepared, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). Herbal teas are a different group altogether.

What’s the difference between green tea and herbal tea?

Harvard’s Nutrition Source describes tea as hot water poured over cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Herbal teas, it says, are not made from that plant. They come from dried herbs, spices, flowers, fruit, seeds, roots or leaves of other plants.

You’ll also see herbal teas called tisanes. One 2024 review defines them as infusions of plants other than Camellia sinensis and is blunt about it: an herbal tea looks like tea and is prepared like tea, but it isn’t tea.

	True tea (including green tea)	Herbal tea (tisane)
Plant	Camellia sinensis	Many other plants
Examples	Green, black, oolong, white	Blends of herbs, flowers, spices, fruit or roots
Caffeine	Yes	Typically none

Does green tea have caffeine like herbal tea?

Green tea does. NCCIH says it contains caffeine, and the Mayo Clinic lists about 29 mg in 8 oz of brewed green tea. Harvard says herbal teas typically don’t contain caffeine the way traditional teas do.

“Typically” matters. Yerba mate is sold as a tea-like drink but comes from a South American holly, Ilex paraguariensis, not the tea plant. A 2021 review reports it contains caffeine at about 1 to 2% of its dry weight, and about 80 mg in a 150 mL cup. If caffeine matters to you, read the ingredient list instead of trusting the word “herbal.” We compare the two drinks in yerba mate vs green tea.

What about herbal green tea and blends?

A product that lists green tea among its ingredients contains true tea, so expect some caffeine. A mix of green tea and herbs, like our green tea and mint tea, is part true tea and part herbal.

Labels aren’t always consistent about this, so check the ingredients. A product made only from herbs, flowers or fruit has no tea leaves in it.

Is it safe to drink?

NCCIH reports no safety concerns for green tea as a beverage in adults. Liver injury has been reported, but it is uncommon and mostly linked to green tea extract tablets and capsules. During pregnancy, it advises keeping caffeine to moderate levels.

Herbal teas are made from many different plants, so what’s true for one isn’t true for all. Each ingredient has its own considerations. If you take medication or are pregnant, ask a healthcare provider about any tea you drink often.

Which should you pick?

If you want a cup with caffeine and the flavor of tea leaf, pick a true tea. If you want to skip caffeine, herbal infusions are one route, and decaf green tea is another. You can also compare true teas with each other, as in green tea vs white tea. The types of green tea hub has more.