Tag: Yaupon holly

  • A Swift, Southern Caffeinated Kick in the Teeth

    Have I ever mentioned that I’m sensitive to caffeine? Like “Deanna Troi” sensitive. Upon my first exposure to yaupon holly – yerba mate’s sweeter, ‘Merican cousin – I hadn’t prepared for the absolute caffeine zing! it imparted. It took three melatonin pills just to slow my heart rate enough to sleep that night. For a…

  • When You Pine for Yaupon

    Yaupon is a species of holly native to the southeastern United States. It is a close cousin to two other holly species – guayusa and yerba mate – and, like those, it is also caffeinated. It was used as a common ingredient by several Native American tribes in an herbal concoction called asi – or…