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Post by johninfla on Mar 8, 2012 14:39:10 GMT -5
Yaupon (ilex vomitoria) is (I think) the only native North American plant that contains caffeine. As I am a caffeine (usually coffee) addict and coffee prices are skyrocketing, I would like to find an alternative way to feed my addiction. I know I live in its native range but I have never seen a yaupon tree/bush so that I could recognize it.
My questions to my fellow Southeasterners are:
1) does anyone grow yaupon
2) have you tried the tea made from it
3) do you have seeds or cuttings that I can have
Thanks,
John
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Post by 12540dumont on Mar 8, 2012 20:54:28 GMT -5
I really have a personal dislike for the name of this plant.
My spouse calls me Ilex Grumpifolia.....when I grouse.
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Post by steev on Mar 8, 2012 22:10:43 GMT -5
You could perhaps grow Camellia sinensis, Chinese tea, which contains caffeine, although it's not native to NA.
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Post by johninfla on Mar 9, 2012 7:32:40 GMT -5
Regarding the latin name, I read one reference that it was named by a scientist who had substantial investment in chinese tea importation......(I read it on the internet, so it must be true!)  I'd love to grow coffee here BUT in north Florida it would never live  C. Sinensis seems pretty $$$$ but if yaupon tastes really nasty that might be an alternative! Has anyone actually tried it? John |
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Post by johninfla on Mar 9, 2012 7:35:59 GMT -5
I really have a personal dislike for the name of this plant. My spouse calls me Ilex Grumpifolia.....when I grouse. My wife just calls me plain grumpy  |
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Post by traab on Mar 9, 2012 10:22:49 GMT -5
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Post by johninfla on Mar 9, 2012 10:35:57 GMT -5
The USDA link above notes the tea is good and produced ill effects only if drunk by the gallons. I sure like my coffee but I don't think I would ever approach gallons a day! thanks for the links..... John |
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Post by samyaza on Oct 9, 2012 16:19:07 GMT -5
As you all, I'm addicted to caffeine My favourite source isn't Coffea arabica but Ilex paraguensis, "maté", a holly relative native to Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, traditionally drunk for millenniums. Argentinian and Uruguayan people made me discover it during a stage two years ago, and now, I'm completely addicted to the Uruguayan type : 100% leaves, very potent, very bitter and harsh. I heard of Yaupon last year while searching for temperate edible Ilex ( not my native, toxic Ilex aquifolium ! ) and found it really exciting. It seems to grow wild as far north as Maryland. Do you think it could be hardy until 6 or 7 ? Would it grow in most of soils ? The leaves seem to look like Ilex paraguensis, so I expect I could grow it as a maté homegrown alternative. Does anyone grow it in Europe ? |
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Post by 12540dumont on Oct 10, 2012 0:52:02 GMT -5
www.eattheweeds.com/yaupon-holly-ilex-vomitoria/A good article about it. USDA Hardiness Zone : 7a - 10a Exposure : Full sun to partial sun (Full sun - best berry production; tolerates bright shade.) Mature Height : 15 - 20 feet Mature Spread : 8 - 10 feet (possibly up to 15') Flower : Mid spring, white flowers Fruit : Translucent red berries Foliage : Glossy green, narrow Fall Color : Not showy Form/Shape : Upright, multi-stemmed, dense shrub Growth Rate : Medium to fast growth rate Persistence : Broadleaf Evergreen Shrub I've read that the seeds take 2-3 years to germinate, so unless you can go without caffeine for a long time, you might want to buy a shrub! John, they should sell these in Florida. Have you tried Monrovia?
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Post by johninfla on Oct 10, 2012 8:26:58 GMT -5
No, I haven't tried Monrovia. But you can buy them as ornamentals. My problem is I know they grow wild here, I just want to be able to identify them before I start drinking some....hehehehe
John
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Post by Deleted on Oct 11, 2012 21:12:37 GMT -5
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