Yaupon Holly Brew: Easy Foraging to Save Money on your Caffeine Fix

Yaupon Holly, aka Cassina, or the less-appetizing Latin misnomer Ilex vomitoria (it does NOT cause vomiting) is the only caffeine containing plant native to North America. Yaupon is extremely common in Southeastern Coast of North America. Many have seen its distinguishing red berries in the winter, but few have realized the potential Yaupon has to make delicious caffeinated tea that many say tastes better than its cousin Yerba Mate. It's the perfect solution for those who want to reduce their dependence on commercially produced caffeinated beverages and save money at the same time!

Native Range of Yaupon Holly (Illex vomitoria)

The long-branched weeping variety "Pendula" can be found in many parks and natural forests and, luckily, it also has the highest caffeine content than any other Yaupon variety. A quick search of Yaupon on the internet shows that it has been used extensively by Native Americans as well as Europeans who later inhabited the area as natural energy booster. In addition to caffeine, Yaupon is rich in antioxidants similar to green tea. Although Yaupon Tea is not technically a tea, as it is not made using Camellia sinensis, many will find it to be their new favorite herbal drink!

The first step to brewing a hot cup of roasted Yaupon tea is the most important; you must correctly identify the leaves, otherwise you can have terrible tasting tea, or brew something that can potentially make you ill. Fortunately for us, Yaupon is very easy to identify. To be absolutely sure you can wait until the later fruiting seasons in the cold and identify the Yaupon by their red or sometimes yellow berries, but this is not the best time to harvest as the leaves are  bitter. Alternatively you can pay attention to their unique leaf structure. Look for their small oval, scalloped leaves which alternate on the stem.

Yaupon Holly with the distinguishable red berries in the fall and winter.

Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria) leaves. Alternating leaves, oblong in shape with scalloped borders.

*DO NOT USE* Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense) Note the smooth border on the leaves and the symmetry from the stem.

One caveat is to beware of the most common similar-looking plant, the Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense) which will produce nasty symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Fret not, as a quick look at the leaves will easily distinguish between the two.

There are two HUGE differences between the non-flowering states of the Chinese Privet and Yaupon Holly:

1. Ligustrum sinense has symmetrical leaves from the stem, unlike the alternating leaves on the Illex vomitoria.

2. Ligustrum sinense has smooth leaf borders unlike the scalloped leaves in Illex vomitoria.

PREPARATION: 
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Yaupon Holly can be prepared a number of ways, freshly dried, roasted, or toasted. Here I will document the process for my favorite method of roasting for a rich, malty taste similar to Yerba Mate.​ 

Freshly Harvested Yaupon Holly

Crushed and Roasted Yaupon Holly, Ready for Tea!

Once properly identified, simply cut the end portion of a branch. Younger branches located at the top portion of the plant taste best. Look for a deep green color, and no obvious signs of disease. Any white fuzz, strange lumpy leaves, or pest damage is a clear sign to avoid the plant. Also avoid plants growing near roadways or in cities as smoke and other unwanted chemicals can settle on the leaves and soak into the roots.

Take this branch into your kitchen and begin plucking off the leaves and place them into a strainer. Thoroughly wash and rinse the leaves. 

Next place the freshly rinsed leaves onto a baking pan covered with aluminum foil, spreading out the leaves so that they evenly roast in the oven.



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Set the oven to 350 F for 40 minutes. Alternativley, if you want a darker, more malty flavor you can increase the temperatrure to 400 F for 30 minutes. Play around with this process to discover your favorite flavor profile!

Once they are done roasting and the leaves are a dark brown color, take them out and let them cool for a moment. Next simply crush them with your hand on the very same aluminum foil. 

Now they are ready to brew! Simple as that. Place around 1.5-2 grams of the leaves per cup. Boil your water and steep for about 5 minutes, or more depending on your desired flavor. It's a very easy tea to make and even easier to brew as you won't get that bitter flavor from over-steeping like you would with black or green teas. 

You can also add ice and sugar for a sweet Yerba Mate-like brew. Enjoy!

Comment your favorite Yaupon Holly preparation methods and tea recipies!


Cheers and Happy Growing