Tag: Black drink

Yaupon Holly is the only naturally caffeinated plant indigenous to North America, a detail that surprises many accustomed to importing coffee and tea. The answer to what native North American plants have caffeine in them is a single, remarkable species, revered by Indigenous cultures for thousands of years.

For thousands of years, long before the introduction of coffee, many Native Americans in the southeastern United States derived their caffeine from a specific native plant. The answer to what did Native Americans drink for caffeine is the yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria), the only naturally caffeinated plant native to North America. This was brewed into a stimulating and ritualistic beverage known to Europeans as the 'Black Drink'.