Ilex vomitoria
Family Aquifoliaceae
North America has exactly one native caffeine plant you can hedge with: yaupon holly. Its leaves, roasted, brew a caffeinated tea people on this continent have been drinking for centuries — from a glossy evergreen that also happens to make a first-rate screen or clipped hedge.
Drought-tolerant once settled and untroubled by heat, it feeds spring bees and hands its berries to the birds — the fruit is for wildlife only, never people, so let the flock have it. Pair a female with a male for berries. A hedge you can steep is a rare thing; plant one.
Full Sun to Part Shade
Drought-tolerant · low water
Moderate growth
Native to North America
Salt-tolerant
Attracts beesNeeds a pollination partner
From the print shop
Our Plant Library collection carries yaupon holly — Ilex vomitoria, print Nº 523, “Yaupon Holly.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what yaupon holly actually needs.
Hardy inZones 7-10PollinationPartner neededYaupon Holly · Common problems
2 problems on file
1 problem on file
Leaf Spot (minor)Poor pollination → low fruit set (plant a partner)
Yaupon Holly · Growing & propagation
LightWater
Soil
Fertilizer
PruningPrune as hedge or limb up into small tree; remove suckers to keep a single-stem form.
Spacing12+ ft specimen
PropagateYaupon Holly · Seasonal care & spray guidance
Growing season. Horticultural oil only if scale is heavy.
winter, before growth starts
1 job
HarvestingIn January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and DecemberClip small amounts of young leafy tips, then dry or roast before brewing; never use berries. Yaupon is a renewable native caffeine crop when harvested lightly.
Yaupon Holly · Calculators & field guides
Yaupon Holly · Yearly calendar
HarvestJanuary to December
BloomPruneHarvestBloomMarch to May
PruneFebruary to March
HarvestJanuary to December
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Yaupon Holly · Ecology & uses
Ilex vomitoria
Attracts
Habitat
Moisture
SaltFine near roads and coasts
DeerProtect young plants
Origin! Some parts toxic — see notesLeaves make caffeinated tea; berries are toxic/inedible - do not eat fruit
UseUseUseUseEdible valueLeaves year-round for roasted caffeinated tea; berries for birds only.
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Yaupon Holly · Varieties & cultivars
'Nana' (dwarf); 'Pride of Houston'; 'Will Fleming' (upright male); 'Schillings'
Sources & plant identity
Ilex vomitoria
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
NC State Extension
University of Florida
USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center Plant Guide: Groundnut (Apios americana)Publisher marks identify sources, not sponsorship or endorsement.
Yaupon Holly questions, answered straight.
Most often: it has no genetically distinct partner nearby. Yaupon Holly can't pollinate itself — dioecious - plant male and female for berries; leaves harvested regardless. Plant a second, unrelated one nearby; two different cultivars, or a cultivar plus a seedling, is the classic pairing.
With care. Leaves make caffeinated tea; berries are toxic/inedible - do not eat fruit Site it accordingly if children or pets roam the garden. This is general reference, not medical or veterinary advice — call a vet or poison control if something has actually been eaten.
Leaves year-round for roasted caffeinated tea; berries for birds only.
Seed (stratify), cuttings, or layering.
Where yaupon holly sits in the library.
Tea Plant
Arabian Jasmine
Osmanthus
Wintergreen (Teaberry)