America's Native Caffeine Plant
The continent's only native tea
Long before coffee or imported tea, the Southeast had yaupon — and it's the reason this sparkling tea has a kick.
The Backstory
Hiding in plain sight for centuries
Yaupon is a holly that grows wild along the Southeastern coast, from Virginia down through Florida and west into Texas. It happens to be the only plant native to North America that naturally contains caffeine — every other caffeinated crop we drink, from coffee to true tea, had to be brought here from somewhere else.
Southeastern Native peoples brewed yaupon for generations, sharing it as a valued social and ceremonial drink long before European contact. It's one of the oldest traditions still growing quietly in these woods.
Native to the Bone
Only
caffeinated plant native to North America
Wild
along the Southeast coast for thousands of years
Zero
import miles — it grows right here at home
About That Name
Don't worry — it won't do what the name suggests
Yaupon's botanical name has scared off many a would-be drinker, but the plant itself doesn't deserve the reputation. Most historians trace the name to early European observers misreading a ceremonial ritual — not to anything in the leaf. Brewed the way we do it, yaupon is simply a smooth, naturally caffeinated tea.
Unlike true tea, yaupon is naturally low in tannins — so it steeps smooth, without the bitterness you'd have to sweeten your way around.
Worth Knowing
Real caffeine, grown sustainably
Yaupon leaves carry both caffeine and theobromine — the same gentle stimulant found in cacao — often described as a steadier lift than coffee. The shrub itself is tough and low-maintenance, thriving across the Southeast without irrigation or pesticides, and regrowing quickly after its leaves are harvested.
This sparkling tea is made for flavor and a natural lift — not marketed as a health drink — but the plant behind it has a genuinely interesting story.
In This Can
Yaupon-brewed, orange-forward, lightly sparkling
We steep real yaupon leaves and blend the brew with bright orange for a sparkling tea that tastes like citrus first, with an earthy, tea-like warmth underneath — and real caffeine from an actual American plant.
Part of River Woods Ranch
Growing wild, right where we work
Yaupon holly already grows wild across River Woods Ranch — in the tree line and understory beneath the muscadine vineyard we're planting. The same land is home to a heritage herd of Florida Cracker cattle and a handful of agricultural homesteads under construction.
- Vineyard
- Being planted
- Winery & Tasting Room
- In development
- Cattle Herd
- Florida Cracker
- Homesteads
- Under construction
Keep Exploring
More from the land
Available Now
Find it at The Farm
Yaupon Orange is for sale today at The Farm, our farmers market in Pensacola. Join the waitlist to hear as new products come online and to receive an early invitation to visit the ranch.