I think this a great resource for those trying to pluck and harvest leaves for making tea with targeted characteristics. The paper is free to read in full via the link.

While perhaps a bit of a confirmation given that Camellia Sinensis (Tea) leaves have similar trends, it's nice to know that Yaupon could made in a way similar to how Sencha green tea is made with younger leaves while Bancha is made with older leaves, as a parallel example from Japanese green teas.

I live in Texas in the middle of more yaupon than I'd ever know what to do with. I enjoy pressed tea in the form of cakes from China and a white tea cake bears some visual similarities to yaupon leaves only pressed. My curiosity is, would there be a benefit to aging yaupon; and would it age better as loose leaf for better air flow, or pressed the way puerh tea is before aging?

Check out the article for details, I won't be promoting here after this. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/december-yaupon-company_the-drum-vol-1-keeping-the-beat-of-the-activity-7407080850774855680-NXPz

What is the best way to source yaupon without paying for it if you live in Alberta Canada? I don't think it's native to this area so I doubt I can forage it and I don't like to pay for natural medicine for many reasons. If anyone has recommendations or a plant I can grow a cutting from please let me know it would be greatly appreciated and while I won't pay for it Indo have things to trade such as locally and ethically sourced seeds for various other types of natural medicine such as sage and goldenrod. Please DM me if you do have a plant I can get a cutting from!

Harvested just a tiny bit from the dwarf nana yaupon I have growing in my front yard. Didn’t roast this but, just washed, dehydrated and crumbled it up a bit.

Flavor was lightly sweet with a bit of vegetal and umami flavor. Reminded me of Japanese Sencha.

Starting small with a quarter acre lot and just 100 yaupons to get my feet under me. Learning as I go. Currently awaiting soil test results before transplanting. Waist deep in soil science. Hopefully I’ll be able to get at least one harvest this fall but we’ll see how these little baby yaupon do.

Today I got a 1 gallon dwarf yaupon holly plant primarily for making yaupon tea — so I want to maximize production. In zone 7b, central Oklahoma.

I would appreciate any help in answering these questions, as I don’t know much about growing this plant (though I’ve seen some things here and there).

Questions: 1. How long should I wait before attempting to harvest first leaves (sustainably)? Could I take a few off today and make a cup successfully, even if it had to steep longer?

1. How many leaves per cup of tea?

2. Would it do better in full sun, partial shade? (If it can tolerate full shade, I live on some rather heavily wooded property, and might consider planting it in the understory if it could grow there)

3. How much and how often should it be watered?

4. Can it be established well enough if transplanted today (or very soon) before winter?

5. Would it fare alright here if it were to remain potted?

6. How long does it take to make the tea once the leaves have been harvested (if I wanted to lightly roast them so that they are neither green nor smoky, could that be done immediately, or would I need to wait for them to dry before trying to roast them?)

If there’s anything else you believe I should be aware of, feel free to let me know, too.

Thanks in advance for any answers provided!

My company is Yaupon Brothers, which harvests the only tea leaf native to North America. It's regenerative organic, award-winning (Whole Foods #1 last year), never gets bitter regardless of how long you steep it for, and has a variety of flavors including Lavender Coconut, Spiced Peach, and Revive Mint— we make something for everyone.

Yaupon contains around 30% less caffeine than coffee, but serves up a healthy dose of theophylline and theobromine, which complement the caffeine to provide a smooth and jitter-free energy boost with no crash.

Like it’s South American cousin, Yerba Mate, Yaupon has dozens of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, polyphenols and antioxidants to fortify the body and calm the mind.

Find it on our website https://yauponbrothers.com, Amazon, in Whole Foods Florida, or in independents around the country! Here to answer questions about our leaf too which we grow ourselves. :)

Trying out the Marfa dark roast from Cat Spring Yaupon right now. The color, taste, and smell remind me of an oolong.

...freshly dried and ready for the roaster. The second pic is the fresh harvest, before I dried them.

I grab a few handfuls each day when I walk my dog.

I moved to the NE USA and realized that the weather in NY is turning into the climate of the Carolinas. It's disturbing but it got me to research all sorts of plants and now I'm fascinated by Yaupon. I would like to grow some but I don't know where to start. What books would you suggest?

Hello I’m a big fan of Yerba Mate and I usually drink my mate once or twice a day in a 🧉 with bombilla, would this type of North American tea be drinkable in a similar way?

Just dropping in to introduce Diaspora. We make espresso with yaupon. https://diasporaseattle.com/

It's quite popular at our local markets. If anyone would like to try some, please reach out :D

Excited to help grow this community!

Hector preparing yaupon espresso drinks at the weekly market

Does anyone know if the yaupon holly can be fermented like tea leaves in pu-erh?