Featured Plant: Yaupon Holly
Yaupon Holly, or Ilex vomitoria is a somewhat common landscaping plant in the Southeastern United States. Its dense, weepy branching brings a unique structural element to any garden, and it produces bright colorful berries through the winter.
Yard
Yaupon Hollies are considered native from Southern Texas on the Eastern side of Oklahoma all the way to the Atlantic Coast of Florida, with a Northerly sweep in range along the coast in South Carolina. They are a low maintenance evergreen tree, with many cultivars that provide a different aesthetic spin to your landscape. They range in height, but most Yaupons will not exceed 25 feet, making it a great tree for a smaller space. It can also tolerate sun or partial shade, so it can fit nicely as a thicket shrub beneath a larger canopy tree. Many people prune and hedge them, but their natural branching pattern is absolutely divine.
Yaupons can be female or male, with only female plants producing flowers and berries. Check with your nursery about plant sex, or start your tree from cuttings using a female parent! Berries are usually red, with some varieties offering a cheerful golden berry as an alternative. These little fruits provide much needed food to wildlife through the winter; both birds and mammals eat them readily. It is also a food plant for Harry’s elfin butterfly larvae, thus contributing to all sorts of habitat creation.
Yaupons are known for being disease-resistant and drought tolerant. They are best planted in early spring, which allows the roots plenty of time to establish before the heat of summer sets in. Dig a hole wider than the rootball of your sapling, but not too much deeper. Replace the soil and water her in thoroughly. Yaupons are easy, no stress!
Body
It may be surprising to see “vomitoria” as the species name for such a well-loved plant. The story behind this name has real intrigue. Yaupons are actually one of two native plant species in the United States that contain caffeine. Native Americans in the Southeastern United States brewed Yaupon Tea for centuries, a practice that remained popular in the region well into the 19th century. “Black drink” was often consumed in excess and brewed with other plant materials, and it caused early botanists to vomit. This experience contributed to the plant’s Latin name, but it is important to note that the Yaupon itself was not the culprit. Yaupons are actually closely related to Ilex paraguariensis, the plant used to make Yerba Mate, and the tea is a totally viable option for an energy boost!
On top of acting as a caffeine source, Yaupon Tea is high in antioxidants. Recent research at University of Florida cites that it has the caffeine content of green tea and the antioxidant content of blueberries! For more details on all of the wonderful properties of Yaupon, check out the Yaupon Tea House.
Based in Savannah, Georgia, this apothecary has really brought the benefits of Yaupon to the forefront. They have tons of great educational resources, as well as some unique holly products. Check out their website here!
Spirit
The spirit of Yaupon runs deep. During the winter months, we slip into a quiet lull. We sit inside. We curl under blankets. Leaves fall from trees, and here in New Orleans, cinnamon Cypress needles coat the streets like a snow blanket.
Yaupon trees are a beacon during this time. Their bright red berries feed birds and other wildlife, and their tiny green leaves hold steadfast onto branches. There is something so important about winter berries, even if they don’t feed humans in the corporeal sense.
You might dart into a thicket with clippers, bundling branches together to hang in your window or tucking them into a pine wreath for a splash of color. Their red against green foliage is powerful– a sharp visual contrast, a deeply conditioned representation of holidays and mirth.
A bit of a pagan myself, I am always reminded at this time of year of the story of the Holly King and the Oak King. I first heard the story as a child, and for some reason it really stuck with me. It tells of the two kings dueling on the Solstice, and eventually, the Oak King would triumph and bring back sun to the cold, dark winter. When I think of this story now, the Holly King feels misunderstood. He is a bearer of gifts in the wintertime, not a domineering prince of darkness. He knows when to step back. He knows that in spring he will pale in comparison to the Dogwoods and the Irises. Let’s give him his moment of brightness now.
