this post was submitted on 18 Sep 2026
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Tea

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A community for anything tea (Camellia Sinensis) related. Rooibos, Yerba Mate and alike welcome!

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Yaupon Holly (lemmy.zip)
submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) by Lorchedar@reddthat.com to c/tea@lemmy.zip
 

Something tea-adjacent I've been drinking lately, a caffeinated holly and the only caffeinated plant native to North America. It's related to the Mate and Guayusa hollies from South America.

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[–] cAUzapNEAGLb@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I really like yaupon holly, i got some lightly roasted leaves from an etsy person in north carolina. Im planning on checking out some local nurserys to have my own trees once im ready, last year i tried to grow camellia sinises but it could not thrive on my land - did have an amazing tea flower tea from it though, and one singular brewing of a very basic and early white tea. I think the yaupon holly will really thrive where i am, cant wait to find out if so!

I make it in the gongfu style of a fragrant oolong - very short fast steps - 3g in a 120ml gaiwan, 85c water, steeped for not more than a few seconds for the first handful of steeps. My batch has a long life, over 12 steeps, and ive pushed it 20 and it was still fine

Definitely worth checking out, especially if you live where it grows natively