Yaupon Holly

Hello,
So I just learned that yaupon holly (Ilex Vomitoria) is one of the only plants native to the Americas containing caffeine. Unfortunately it is listed for zones 7a-9. I am in 6b. Does anyone have experience with this plant in 6b? Are there any special recommendations from you all on how I would go about overwintering it? Should it be in a pot and carried in for winter, or do you think it would be alright to plant it out and try to see if the range can be extended to my property? TIA looking forward to your suggestions.

I have the same questions!   I'm wondering if a small greenhouse would be enough to get it through our 6a/b winters!

Several folks on the forum have tried using "Micro-climates".

Aranya said, "Building soil and adding mulch provides better insulation from both the heat of the sun and the cold of the winter.

Aranya said, "it's worth checking out the work of Sepp Holzer, who grows lemons amongst many other things at 3,500ft in the Austrian alps. He is a master of microclimates.

https://permies.com/t/17507/Building-microclimates#150779

I don't know the answer to your question, but I live in Central Texas where it grows wild, and I've recently started making tea from it. In addition to its caffeine content and potential health benefits, it's actually delicious! So my vote is that you give it a try and see if it will grow for you.

Ruth Rogers wrote:I don't know the answer to your question, but I live in Central Texas where it grows wild, and I've recently started making tea from it. In addition to its caffeine content and potential health benefits, it's actually delicious! So my vote is that you give it a try and see if it will grow for you.

I have one of these in my backyard. Ruth, would you mind sharing your process for making tea? I'd like to give this a try.

Blake Dozier wrote:would you mind sharing your process for making tea?

Sure! I grab a likely-looking branch and strip the leaves, repeating until I’ve got enough to cover a cookie sheet. I usually take them from lower down or in the shaded areas of the bush, so I don’t feel like I’m threatening its survival (even though you can’t walk three steps here without running into one!) because I’m just weird like that.

I have been separating out the little twigs I inevitably end up with, but I kinda wonder if that’s even necessary? I might try leaving them in the next batch, just to see. [EDITED TO ADD: If you harvest from a female bush, make sure to pick out any berries, since those are toxic to humans.]

I don’t wash them or anything, because I know the ones here haven’t been exposed to any pollutants or pesticides, but you could, I suppose, then let them dry thoroughly.

Then I spread them out on a cookie sheet and bake them for 20 min at 350°F. Once they’ve cooled I dump them into a plastic bag and squish it to crunch them up, but you could also use a food processor, mortar and pestle, etc.

Stick a teaspoon or so into a diffuser and steep in boiling water for 5 min or so, add whatever you like in your tea, and enjoy!

Thanks Ruth! I'm excited to give this a go!

Gave it a go this afternoon! After drying it in the oven like you suggested, I crushed it up with my fingers and used a folded coffee filter to brew a cup. It was actually really good. Excited to keep experimenting with this. Here are some pics of it while cooking and after crushing it up!