Ilex vomitoria, commonly known as yaupon () or yaupon holly, is a species of holly that is native to southeastern North America.
The plant was traditionally used by Native Americans and Euro-American colonists to make an infusion containing caffeine and theobromine. This drink went by different names, such as Yaupon tea among natives and "Carolina tea", or "South Seas tea" among colonists. It is one of only two known plants endemic to North America that produce caffeine. The other (containing 80% less) is Ilex cassine, commonly known as dahoon holly.[Folch C. Ceremony, Medicine, Caffeinated Tea: Unearthing the Forgotten Faces of the North American Stimulant Yaupon (Ilex vomitoria). Comparative Studies in Society and History. 2021;63(2):464-498. doi:10.1017/S0010417521000116]
Yaupon is also widely used for landscaping in its native range.
Description
Yaupon holly is an
evergreen shrub or small tree reaching 5–9
Metre tall, with smooth, light gray bark and slender, hairy shoots. The
Phyllotaxis is alternate, with leaves ovate to elliptical and a rounded apex with
Crenation or coarsely serrated margin, 1–4.5 cm long and 1–2 cm broad, glossy dark green above, slightly paler below. The
are 5–5.5 mm diameter, with a white four-lobed corolla. The
fruit is a small round, shiny, and red (occasionally yellow)
drupe 4–6 mm diameter containing four pits, which are dispersed by birds eating the fruit. The species may be distinguished from the similar
Ilex cassine by its smaller leaves with a rounded, not acute apex.
Habitat and range
I. vomitoria occurs in the United States from the Eastern Shore of Virginia south to Florida and west to Oklahoma[ It generally occurs in coastal areas in well-drained, sandy soils, and can be found on the upper edges of brackish and , sandy hammocks, coastal , inner-dune depressions, , maritime forests, nontidal forested wetlands, well-drained forests, and pine .][
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Ecology
The fruit are an important food for many birds, including Florida duck, American black duck, mourning dove, ruffed grouse, bobwhite quail, wild turkey, northern flicker, , cedar waxwing, eastern bluebird, American robin, grey catbird, northern mockingbird, and white-throated sparrow. Mammals that eat the fruit include nine-banded armadillo, American black bear, gray fox, raccoon, and skunk. The foliage and twigs are browsed by white-tailed deer.[
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Cultivation and uses
Human consumption
Some Native American tribes brew the leaves and stems to create an herbal tea, commonly called black drink. Historically, the ceremonial consumption often included vomiting, and Europeans deduced that yaupon caused it (hence the Botanical name - Ilex vomitoria).[Hudson, Charles M. (1976). The Southeastern Indians. University of Tennessee Press .]
Native Americans may have also used the infusion as a laxative.
Ornamental
Ilex vomitoria is a common landscape plant in the Southeastern United States. The most common cultivars are slow-growing shrubs popular for their dense, evergreen foliage and their adaptability to pruning into of various shapes. These include:
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'Folsom Weeping' – weeping cultivar
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'Grey's Littleleaf'/'Grey's Weeping' – weeping cultivar
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'Nana'/'Compacta' – dwarf female clone usually remaining below 1 m in height
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'Pride of Houston' – female clone similar to type but featuring improvements in form, fruiting, and foliage
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'Schilling's Dwarf'/'Stokes Dwarf' – dwarf male clone that grows no more than 0.6 m tall and 1.2 m wide
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'Will Fleming' – male clone featuring a columnar growth habit
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'Pendula' – "weeping" variety, has the highest caffeine content
See also
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Ilex paraguariensis or yerba mate – a caffeinated holly native to subtropical South America
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Ilex guayusa or guayusa – a caffeinated holly native to the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest
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Kuding – a Chinese tisane made from I. kudingcha
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Yaupon Beach, North Carolina - a former town and current neighborhood of Oak Island, North Carolina
