Holly season is here! Wreaths on the door, sprigs on the mantel, red berries everywhere you look. But here's a fun fact for your next holiday party: a few members of the holly family are hiding something extra in their leaves. Caffeine!
Out of hundreds of holly species, only a small handful are brewed into caffeinated drinks. The three best known are Yaupon from North America, yerba mate from South America and guayusa from the Amazon. They're cousins, they share a lot, and each one has its own personality. Let's meet the family.
Featured photo by Joerg Mangelsen on Pexels.
The holly family, caffeinated
All three belong to the genus Ilex. A 2018 review in the journal Nutrients lists yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis), guayusa (Ilex guayusa) and Yaupon (Ilex vomitoria) among the hollies that contain caffeine and theobromine. Those are methylxanthines, the same family of compounds found in coffee, tea and chocolate. The review also points to chlorogenic acids, a group of polyphenols that shows up in all three.
One important note: most hollies don't make caffeine, and many holly berries are toxic. So please don't brew the wreath on your front door!
[PHOTO IDEA: three small piles of loose Yaupon, yerba mate and guayusa leaves side by side on a wood board. Alt text: Loose Yaupon, yerba mate and guayusa leaves side by side, three caffeinated holly teas compared]
YauponNorth America's own
Yaupon grows wild from southern Virginia down to Florida and west to southeast Oklahoma and central Texas, according to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at UT Austin. It's at home in coastal woods, sandy pinelands and limestone hills, and it's the only caffeinated plant native to North America.
Yaupon's caffeine is the most variable of the three. The Nutrients review reports levels from 0% up to about 1.9% of dry leaf weight, shifting with growing conditions. A 2025 study in Plants found that spring leaves carried roughly three times the caffeine of autumn leaves, and spring leaves showed the strongest antioxidant activity. (Those plants were grown in China, so wild Southern Yaupon may differ.)
In the cup, most Yaupon fans describe a gentle, steady lift rather than a jolt. Green Yaupon is smooth and grassy with very little bitterness, while roasting brings out toasty, earthy notes. We dug into that in our green vs. roasted post!
Yerba mateSouth America's social brew
Yerba mate comes from subtropical South America, where it's traditionally sipped from a hollowed gourd through a metal straw called a bombilla and passed around a circle of friends. It's as much a ritual of connection as a caffeine source.
Mate is the reliable middle of the family. The Nutrients review summarizes 25 mate samples with total methylxanthines of roughly 3.7 to 12.7 mg per gram of leaf, and mate tends to carry more theobromine than its cousins. Expect a bold, grassy, slightly bitter cup, sometimes smoky depending on how the leaves are dried.
Guayusathe Amazon's dawn tea
Guayusa grows in the Andean Amazon, mostly in Ecuador with some in Colombia and Peru, at elevations up to about 1,500 meters, per a 2025 review in Molecules. That review notes guayusa holds the highest caffeine value reported for plant leaf tissue in one analysis (75.7 mg per gram of dry leaf), with infusions commonly topping 1% caffeine. Its theobromine is low.
Guayusa also has a beautiful tradition behind it. The Molecules review describes Kichwa families sharing an early morning infusion while they tell stories, interpret dreams, dance, pray and weave. In the cup, guayusa is smooth, mellow and gently sweet.
Side by side
| Yaupon | Yerba mate | Guayusa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native home | Southeastern US | Subtropical South America | Andean Amazon (mostly Ecuador) |
| Caffeine | Lowest and most variable | Moderate | Highest of the three |
| Theobromine | Low | Highest of the three | Low |
| Flavor | Smooth, grassy or toasty | Bold, grassy, a bit bitter | Mellow, slightly sweet |
Caffeine in any of these depends on the leaf, the season, the processing and how you brew, so think of this as a family portrait rather than a nutrition label.
Why we love the native one
We'll always have a soft spot for all three, but Yaupon is the one that grows in our own backyard. It's a hardy native evergreen that has been brewed in the Southeast for centuries, and it doesn't need to cross a hemisphere to reach your mug. Choosing a native plant is a small, tasty way to support local growers and the landscapes they tend.
Taste all three in one cup
Can't pick a favorite? You don't have to! Our Holly Trinity blends Yaupon, yerba mate and guayusa into one earthy, roasted cup that's full of character. It's a fun way to taste the whole family at once. If you'd rather go pure Yaupon, start with Green Yaupon for something smooth or Fire Roasted Yaupon for something bold. New to brewing? Our Preparing Yaupon guide has you covered.
Happy holly season, and happy sipping!
Sources
- Gan R-Y, Zhang D, Wang M, Corke H. Health Benefits of Bioactive Compounds from the Genus Ilex, a Source of Traditional Caffeinated Beverages. Nutrients, 2018.
- Sha L, et al. Seasonal Dynamic Changes in the Nutrient Elements and Antioxidant Activity of Ilex vomitoria Leaf. Plants, 2025.
- Noriega P, et al. Guayusa (Ilex guayusa Loes.) Ancestral Plant of Ecuador. Molecules, 2025.
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Ilex vomitoria (Yaupon).
