Yaupon 101

Which Yaupon Tea Is Right for You (or Them)? A Simple Guide

By Abianne Falla Dec 24, 2025

A Simple Guide to Choosing Your Yaupon

Choosing a tea—especially as a gift—can feel more complicated than it needs to be.

Flavor preferences are personal. Rituals are individual. And during the holidays, you’re often shopping not just for yourself, but for hosts, friends, family, and the people who are hardest to buy for.

The good news: yaupon keeps it simple.

One native plant. Three distinct roasts. Each offering a different expression—bright, mellow, or bold—so you can choose based on feeling rather than expertise.

First, a Quick Note on Yaupon

If yaupon is new to you, here’s the short version.

Yaupon is America’s only native caffeinated plant, an evergreen holly that has grown wild across the southern United States for centuries. It’s naturally smooth, easy to brew, and free from the bitterness that can make tea intimidating—making it especially well-suited for gifting.

From there, it’s all about roast.

Pedernales Green Yaupon

For the fresh, the curious, the daytime sipper

This is the lightest expression of yaupon. Clean, bright, and refreshing, Pedernales Green highlights the plant’s natural character with minimal roasting.

You might love this if:

You enjoy light, uplifting flavors
You drink tea earlier in the day
You like things simple and refreshing
You’re gifting to someone who enjoys green teas or herbal blends

Tasting notes: crisp, bright, gently herbal
Best for: mornings, iced tea, everyday sipping

Lost Maples Medium Roast Yaupon

For the balanced, the cozy, the crowd-pleaser

Lost Maples sits comfortably in the middle—warm, mellow, and approachable. The medium roast brings out soft caramel notes while keeping the cup smooth and easygoing.

You might love this if:

You want something versatile
You’re shopping for someone with broad tastes
You’re transitioning from coffee to tea
You’re gifting a host or household

Tasting notes: mellow, warm, lightly caramelized
Best for: afternoons, shared pots, gifting

Marfa Dark Roast Yaupon

For the bold, the ritual-driven, the nightcap person

Marfa Dark Roast is the richest of the three, with a deeper, toasty character that feels grounding and familiar—without bitterness.

You might love this if:

You’re a coffee drinker
You enjoy dark roasts or nightcaps
You like your rituals slow and intentional
You’re gifting someone who loves whiskey, espresso, or bold flavors

Tasting notes: rich, nutty, quietly complex
Best for: evenings, slow pours, cozy gatherings

Still Not Sure? Here’s the Shortcut

Buying for yourself? Start with the flavor profile you’re most drawn to.
Buying for someone else? Lost Maples Medium Roast is the most universally loved.
Buying for a host or mixologist? Marfa Dark Roast shines in warm drinks and cocktails.
Buying for someone new to tea? Pedernales Green keeps things light and approachable.

Or, choose a variety set and let them explore—sometimes the best gifts leave room for discovery.

A Thoughtful Gift, Made Simple

Holiday shopping doesn’t need to be complicated to be meaningful.

Yaupon offers a rare combination: something rooted in place, easy to enjoy, and versatile enough to fit many routines. Whether you’re choosing for yourself or someone you care about, the right yaupon is simply the one that feels like it belongs.

FAQs

Yaupon (pronounced yō-pon) is a naturally caffeinated herbal tea made from the Yaupon Holly—the only plant in North America that offers a native source of caffeine. Rooted in centuries of Indigenous tradition, it’s known for its smooth, welcoming flavor and gentle, steady lift.

Here’s what people love about it:

Grows wild in Texas’ sandy-loam soil
Hand-harvested and gently roasted for smooth flavor
Naturally sweet and always smooth, never bitter

In Summary, Yaupon tea is a uniquely American, naturally energizing brew that’s smooth and enjoyable to drink.

Yaupon is naturally tannin-free, so it never becomes bitter—a key difference from green or black tea. It delivers the antioxidant benefits people look for in tea, but with a smoother, naturally sweet flavor and none of the astringency.

What sets it apart:

Combines the benefits of green and black tea while avoiding the downsides of each (bitterness, jitters, & sustainability concerns)
Yaupon is rich in antioxidants that combat oxidative stress and promote overall health & longevity
Powered by a rare trifecta of caffeine, theobromine & theacrine for a joyful, steady energy you won’t find in other teas

In Summary, Yaupon offers the benefits of tea with a smoother taste and cleaner energy, without bitterness or environmental strain.

Yes, Yaupon naturally contains caffeine—about 25 mg per 8–14 ounce cup—alongside theobromine and theacrine, a rare trio of naturally occurring compounds that create a joyful, steady lift.

What makes it special:

Naturally occurring caffeine
A smooth, steady upward feeling
No spike-and-crash pattern
Supports focus, clarity, and presence

In Summary, Yaupon provides a smooth, steady energy unlike anything found in traditional teas.

Modern research is beginning to affirm what Indigenous communities have known for generations—this is a plant that gently nourishes, sip by sip.

Why people feel good drinking it:

Naturally rich in antioxidants, polyphenols, and beneficial alkaloids
Tannin-free, making it smooth and easy on the stomach
Offers joyful, gentle caffeine without the spike or discomfort
Supports clear focus, balanced mood, and grounded energy

In Summary, Yaupon is a naturally giving plant, trusted for generations to offer clarity, steadiness, and gentle nourishment.

Learn More Here

Some teas demand precision—Yaupon isn’t one of them. Hot or iced, quick or slow, Yaupon simply meets you where you are.

What makes it so easy:

Stays smooth and clear, no matter the steeping time
Never becomes bitter or astringent
Consistent and clean whether served hot or iced

In Summary, Yaupon is effortlessly easy to brew—always smooth, always steady, and impossible to over-steeped.

Yaupon Tea Brewing Guide

Yaupon carries a smooth, naturally sweet flavor that reflects the Texas landscapes where it grows.

How each roast shows up in the cup:

Pedernales Green — crisp + bright
Clean and refreshing with delicate grassy notes, subtle savoriness, and a bright, earthy finish. A calming, green-hued cup inspired by the quiet limestone banks of the Pedernales River.
Lost Maples Medium Roast — golden + mellow
Smooth and warm with caramel, raisin, and toasted nut undertones. A mellow, comforting cup echoing the golden colors of Texas’ iconic Lost Maples in autumn.
Marfa Dark Roast — rich + toasty
Elegant and deeply roasted with warm, nutty sweetness and a subtle, earthy complexity. A sophisticated cup honoring the creative spirit of Marfa’s high-desert landscape.

In Summary, every cup of Yaupon reflects the Texas landscape—crisp, warm, or richly toasty, yet always smooth.

See What Customers Are Saying

Our Yaupon is wild-harvested across native Texas lands, where it thrives in sandy-loam soil without irrigation or chemicals. Each harvest reflects careful stewardship of the land and the long Indigenous traditions of gathering Yaupon in the American South.

Where it begins:

Transparent, traceable sourcing from leaf to label
Partnering with local ranchers and land owners to gather only what nature allows—by hand, respectfully, and sustainably
A People First Employment Initiative process that supports rural Texans

In Summary, our Yaupon comes straight from wild Texas landscapes where every cup reflects connection—to land, community, and nature.

Yaupon thrives in the wild without the need for irrigation, fertilizers, or pesticides, making it inherently sustainable. Through responsible wild-harvesting and Regenerative Organic Certified practices, Yaupon helps restore soil health and support native ecosystems.

What makes it regenerative:

Harvested from existing native ecosystems, not farmed fields
Leaves plants rooted and ecosystems intact through hand-harvesting
Supports healthy soil, carbon capture, and clean water cycles

In Summary, Yaupon isn’t just sustainably grown—it actively supports the revival of native Texas grasslands, helping the land flourish for generations to come.

Learn more about our sustainability practices here.

We hold our yaupon to some of the most rigorous standards in food and agriculture. Our leaves are certified USDA Organic through CCOF, Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC), Whole Kosher-certified, and screened according to AHPA guidelines for heavy metals and pesticide safety. Every batch is also tested for microbials and purity before it ever reaches your cup.

What ensures its integrity:

USDA Organic certification through CCOF
Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) practices
Whole Kosher certification
AHPA-aligned heavy metal and pesticide screening
Third-party microbial and purity testing

In Summary, our yaupon is as clean as the land it grows on—nourished by sunshine and rainwater, with nothing unnecessary added.

CatSpring Yaupon is gathered where it grows naturally—on native Texas land—rather than farmed or cultivated. We keep each plant rooted, harvest by hand, craft our roasts in small batches, and center our work on regenerative land care and meaningful rural employment.

What sets us apart: