When I was growing up in the 1950s on Johns Island, S.C., near Charleston, the week after Thanksgiving was when my mother would send us into the woods to gather mistletoe, magnolia leaves, boughs of holly, cedar and pine and other evergreens to decorate the house for Christmas.
One of her favorite “Christmas greens” was yaupon holly, which sports bright red berries this time of year amidst small, shiny evergreen leaves. It was — and still is — an ideal holiday symbol. I preferred the yaupon (also called cassina) because its wavy-toothed leaves did not stick me unmercifully as the sharp, thorny leaves of American holly did.
Yaupon, which prefers moist, sandy soil, is primarily a coastal species. While I was walking a trail bordering a salt marsh on Jekyll Island last weekend, I found yaupon and its bright red berries growing in profusion. Seeing the plant this time of year never fails to bring back memories of happy times at Christmas.
Yaupon had another significance for us — the only plant native to the U.S. that contains copious amounts of caffeine, the eye-opening ingredient of coffee.
Sixteenth Century Spanish conquistador records reported that coastal Indians brewed a potent coffee-like stimulant — called “black drink” — from the leaves and twigs of yaupon in hot water. One tribe, the Timucuans, who inhabited Cumberland Island and other coastal areas of Georgia and North Florida, was especially fond of black drink.
The conquistador reports told about Timucuan Indians sitting around in groups during the morning and sipping their brew, much like we do today over cups of coffee.
The Timucuans occasionally gulped black drink to excess during religious ceremonies and social occasions. The binge drinking caused sweating, fever and vomiting. Hence, yaupon's scientific name: Ilex vomitoria. The side effects were thought to purge the body.
A University of Florida study, published in the June 2009 issue of Economic Botany, suggested that a tea from yaupon holly can provide 50 to 100 percent of the antioxidant effects of green tea. A Texas A&M University study verified those findings.
IN THE SKY: The moon will be full on Wednesday — the “Trading Moon,” as the Cherokee peoples called November’s full moon, said David Dundee, Tellus Science Museum astronomer. Venus rises out of the east about two hours before sunrise. Venus and Saturn will appear close together in the sky on Tuesday morning. Mars is low in the southwest just after dark and sets in the west a few hours later. Jupiter rises out of the east a few hours after dark and will appear near the moon Wednesday night. Saturn rises out of the east just before dawn. Mercury is not easily seen now.
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