Aims <p>The co-enrichment of selenium and trace metals (TMs, especially cadmium), in black shale in Enshi, China, has been confirmed. This study aims to clarify the concentration, health risks, and sources of selenium and TMs in the soil and tea leaves of local tea gardens.</p> Methods <p>We collected 1314 sets of tea leaves and rhizosphere soil samples from tea gardens in Enshi. Elemental concentrations of selenium, arsenic, and mercury were determined via AFS, nickel and chromium via ICP-OES, and cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc via ICP-MS. The risk of TMs in soils was assessed using the geoaccumulation index, whereas health risks from tea consumption were evaluated using Hazard Quotient and Carcinogenic Risk models. Sources of TMs in soils were quantitatively determined via absolute principal component score–multiple linear regression.</p> Results <p>The proportion of selenium-rich tea was 2.2% (<i>n</i> = 667), 0% (<i>n</i> = 559), and 75% (<i>n</i> = 88) in areas with clasolite, carbonate rock, and black shale, respectively. Soils in black shale areas showed significant cadmium pollution, with 35.4% being bioavailable. Nevertheless, due to a low bioconcentration factor, all tea samples (<i>n</i> = 1,314) contained cadmium below the maximum permissible concentration. Producing selenium-rich tea may offer a safe strategy for utilizing high-cadmium soils. Health risks of selenium and TMs in tea were negligible. Cadmium, selenium, nickel, and chromium in the soil have a predominantly geogenic origin.</p> Conclusions <p>This study highlights the dominant influence of parent material on soil element composition and underscores the value of ecological tea cultivation in areas with high selenium and TM background.</p>