The indigenous Timucua people of Florida called Yaupon Cassina, and believed that it purified the mind and body of those who drank it.
The leaf's natural caffeine and powerful antioxidants also gave Timucua warriors strength and energy before the hunt and battle. The leaves were roasted, infused in boiling water, and drank hot from elaborately carved whelk shells. Yaupon contains around 30% less caffeine than coffee, but also 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, the Yerba Mate, Yaupon has dozens of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, polyphenols and antioxidants to fortify the body and calm the mind.
Yaupon Discovery
Yaupon comes from the naturally caffeinated leaves of the Yaupon Holly tree, in the Ilex family, found only in the Southeast United States from Texas to Florida, and north through Virginia. Yaupon is the only naturally caffeinated plant species that grows in the US and most of North America. Yaupon Brothers trees are grown in certified organic “forest farms” on the central Atlantic coast of Florida, where Yaupon consumption began at least 8,000 years ago. In 2011 our founder, Bryon White, reimagined a new industry centered around this magical plant, did a deep dive into its history, and made it his life’s mission to bring Yaupon tea back to consumers.
The Yaupon Tea Advantage
With the health benefits being far better than any other caffeine alternative like coffee, yerba mate, and normal tea, we’re helping tea drinkers as well as tea growers. Help yourself and your local ecosystem with yaupon tea.
History of Yaupon
For thousands of years, indigenous people in the Southeast United States drank an infusion of Yaupon leaves and water for energy and in medicinal, ceremonial, and purification rituals. Later on, Yaupon tea energized European colonizers and early Americans before fading into obscurity for over 200 years. Today we know the science behind Yaupon’s amazing properties and health benefits, and we’re here to make it your new favorite tea.
Sustainable Native Agriculture
Yaupon Brothers is committed to making Yaupon Holly a successful alternative native crop for Florida farmers and maintains a partnership with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food & Agricultural Science to use Yaupon farming as a regenerative agriculture model because it results in less nutrient pollution, reduced water use, and is resilient to natural disasters like droughts, freezes, and hurricanes. Yaupon is also resilient to climate change!Since Yaupon is grown right here in America, not imported from abroad, it results in a smaller carbon footprint, less stress on the environment, and real jobs and economic opportunities for American farmers and workers.
Next Steps
Yaupon Brothers propagate our own Yaupon trees and through our growing farm program, we work with independent and socially disadvantaged farmers across the Southeastern United States to grow the trees. Often, we give farmers the trees we propagate and then purchase their Yaupon leaf harvest for use in our Yaupon tea.Our growing and processing operations are both certified organic. We’ve put more than 80,000 trees in the ground on ten tea farms, with 500,000 more planned over the next year. Yaupon provides equal or greater per-acre economics than more conventional crops like cotton, peanuts, soybeans, pecans, citrus and many others. Yaupon is productive for as long as 100 years. It stabilizes the soil, prevents erosion, and creates beneficial habitat for wildlife, while also creating economic opportunities.