How to Grow and Care for Yaupon Holly

If a plant ever had a botanical name that could drive people to run far, far away from it, it’s this one.

I can’t help but wonder if the species epithet vomitoria is part of the reason why this plant isn’t far more popular than it is.

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Drought, shade, and salt barely phase it. It’s totally happy in somewhat sandy, rocky, heavy, or depleted soils. But unlike some tough and adaptable plants, this one doesn’t become invasive and spread into places where you don’t want it.

With its petite flowers, beautiful foliage, and bright red berries, it has a lot to offer as an ornamental. And did I mention that it can also be made into a caffeinated tea similar to yerba mate?

I say we start a petition to have yaupon holly renamed to something like Ilex awesomitoria. Or maybe Ilex wonderfulitoria? Okay, we can workshop the name later.

A North American native, this is a plant that fits right into a wide variety of environments where it can attract wildlife, create a privacy hedge, and provide you with your morning caffeine fix all at the same time.

Whether you’re looking for some tea-making tips or you want to make sure your yaupon is as happy as possible in your garden, this guide has you covered. Here’s everything we’re about to go over:

In case you can’t tell, I’m a huge fan of this plant. Anytime I can grow something that is versatile on top of being easy-going, I’m in.

Feel the same way? Let’s dig into the wonderful world of Ilex vomitoria.

Yaupon holly is native to the southeastern United States. You can find it growing wild from Virginia to Florida and