A Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic strain was isolated from black tea. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity comparisons, strain QC88-366T was grouped into the genus Pantoea, being related most closely to the type strains of Pantoea gaviniae (98.5 %) and Pantoea calida (98.3 %); sequence similarities were ≤ 97.0 % to the type strains of other species of the genus Pantoea. Multilocus sequence analysis based on partial sequences of the gyrB, rpoB, infB and atpD genes also revealed P. gaviniae and P. calida as the closest phylogenetic relatives. The fatty acid profile showed the major fatty acids of strain QC88-366T were C16 : 0, C16 : 1 and C18 : 1, the same as those of its closest related species. However, the ratio of C16 : 1, C17 : 0 cyclo, C18 : 1 and C18 : 2 differed slightly compared with those of the related neighbours. In addition, the results of physiological and biochemical tests also allowed the phenotypic differentiation of strain QC88-366T from its closest phylogenetic neighbours. The G+C content of the DNA was 57.2 mol%. Strain QC88-366T therefore represents a novel species of the genus Pantoea, for which the name Pantoea theicola sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is QC88-366T ( = DSM 29212T = NBRC 110557T).