Chinese character 槚

The passage decides whether it means a tree or tea. Classical Chinese uses the older form 檟 for 楸, a catalpa-type tree. Historical references connect it with timber and planting by graves. 槚 is the simplified Chinese form of that same character.

Tea is another classical use, not a proven change from the tree name. 《尔雅》, an early Chinese reference book, glosses 檟 as bitter tea. 《茶经》, a book about tea, lists it among five tea names: 茶, 檟, 蔎, 茗, and 荈.

What does 槚 mean when someone sends it?

Check the surrounding words before choosing a sense. By itself, 槚 does not tell you whether the sender means the tree or tea. In ordinary chat, it reads like a quotation, a dictionary lookup, or a deliberate classical touch; for everyday tea, Chinese uses 茶.