A holly of the south-eastern US with bitter leaves containing caffeine, traditionally dried and brewed as a drink by some North American Indian peoples.
Ilex vomitoria, family Aquifoliaceae
‘Small trees resistant to cotton root rot include Jerusalem thorn, yaupon and wild olive.’
‘Native plants, like wax myrtle varieties of yaupon hollies to name a few, are popular plants for southern gardens.’
‘But even ‘evergreen’ yaupons drop old leaves to make way for new.’
‘Shrubs: chittamwood (a bumelia also called gum-elastic), yaupon, spatulate-leaved hawthorn.’
‘Southerners could, for example, plant a mass of vigorous full-sized yaupon hollies next to the back door, and a cluster of dwarf yaupons (Ilex vomitoria ‘Nana’) at the yard's far edge.’
Origin
Early 18th century a North American Indian word.
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