# Yaupon Holly composition



## Feral Nature

Howdy! I'm generally on the goat forum, but I thought someone here might be able to point me in the right direction. Our ranch is covered in Yaupon and I was wondering if yall knew a website or link where i could find out it's protein content, calcium, phos, stuff like that. Caffeine content even, as a friend pointed out that it is suitable for a caffeine tea. I know the Native Americans used it as a purge also.

It is a primary browse for my goats and I wonder about it's nutritional value. We have maybe 40-50 or more acres of thick Yaupon canopy here in the Post Oak Savannah of central Texas.


----------



## Wildcrofthollow

I don't know too much about Yaupon, _Ilex vomitoria_. I do know that it contains caffeine, and that native folks made what was called the "black drink" from it. As I recall, it is the only plant native to N. America that contains caffeine. Most members of the Holly family are at least mildly toxic to humans. But goats? I wouldn't think that they would eat something that was too bad for them, but if it is the only real browse you have, they probably would just cause they seem to have to browse something.

Sorry to be no help, I am interested in hearing if anyone else knows something on this subject.


----------



## chris30523

The "vomitoria" in its name would keep me from drinking a tea from it.My goats primary browse is privet.Even they can't kill it.


----------



## Feral Nature

When I let my goats out of their pens, they go wild for the Yaupon, even with other browse available. It's not like yaupon is the only species they have to eat. They love it. So I spend 1-2 hours every day cutting and throwing branches into their pens until we can get more acreage fenced. It is evergreen so it is always there for them in the winter. I wonder if my goats are "hopped up" on yaupon caffeine?

I found these

http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/4h/Yaupon_holly/yaupholl.htm

http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/ilvo.html

http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/cu/CU21.html


----------



## Wildcrofthollow

no kidding. wow, hyped up goats. Wonder if they get blinding headaches if they dont get their morning cup of yaupon?


----------



## VALENT

Now, this is quite interesting. Did you find any specifics on how to make the "coffee" type drink? From the links I see that the berries cause the vomiting whereas the young leaves are used for the caffeine.


----------



## Feral Nature

Thanks for the PM. I'll see what i can find.


----------



## hermitress

It is very easy to make Yaupon Holly Tea. There is a theory that the person (can't recall his name at the moment) that named the Yau pon Holly Ilex Vomitoria was actual paid by the Ceyton Tea Company to give it that name to deter Americans from drinking it...no proof but it has been suggested in literature.
Both the leaves and the stems can be used to prepare the tea. First you must dry the leaves/stems. Then you can roast the dried leaves/stems in the oven. I roast mine for 30 minutes on high in my nuwave oven, stir the leaves/stems around then roast for 30 more minutes. To serve you can either boil in a pot and then pour in to cup via a sieve or filter or use a bombilla straw and it will do the filtering OR steep the leaves in a tea strainer/filter. The longer you steep the darker the drink. I might mention that it is suggested that the green leaves DO NOT have any available caffeine until they are roasted...much like a coffee bean. 

Now that Florida has a Cottage Food law I am thinking of selling Yaupon Tea to locals at seafood festivals and such. I have drank Yerba mate for years but I actually prefer the Yaupon Tea over Yerba mate.


----------



## rockhound

I know the post about caffeine content in a plant was an old one from 07, but here's a link for you to follow. This site is not maintained as I think it should be, it has a ton of info but sometimes you have to dig for it.
Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases


----------

