Yaupon holly
Ilex vomitoria
North America's only native caffeinated plant: roast the leaves for tea.
Hardiness: zones 7 to 10
Light: full sun to part shade
Size: about 15 ft tall, 10 ft wide
Harvest: year-round
From: SE United States
Drought-hardy once established
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food, wildlife, traditional use.
Native to: Southeast, Great Plains & Texas. Hardy in zones 7 to 10.
The story
Yaupon is North America's only native caffeine plant: Timucua, Creek, Cherokee and Catawba people roasted the leaves for the black drink, a ceremonial and daily tea traded far inland. Colonists drank it when tea was taxed, and it is being revived by Texas and Florida growers.
Planting
Full sun or part shade, any drained soil; it takes drought, salt and clay. Plant a female with a male nearby for red berries, though the leaves are the point. Evergreen, 10 to 20 feet or a hedge.
Growing
Water the first year, then nothing. Shear as a hedge or shape as a small tree. Tough as any plant in the South.
Harvest and use
Pick young leaves any time, dry or roast them in a pan until brown, and steep. Mild, grassy, caffeinated; the berries are not edible.
What to watch for
Nothing serious; scale occasionally.
Safety
Medicinal uses here are shared as history, not advice. Kitchen amounts are fine for most people, but teas, tinctures and supplements can interact with medicines and aren't safe for everyone, especially in pregnancy, while breastfeeding, for children, or with liver or kidney problems. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before taking any plant as medicine.
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More native and wild plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home