A very interesting article, why didn’t Euell Gibbons tip us off years ago?
I am going to take this home and plant it in Israel
I’ve got a large Mormon tea plant growing on the hill by my boulder field that I make tea out of. It has ephedrine in it. Good for colds.
Because if it grows in your own backyard, we can’t charge you money for it.
Go figure.
Also known as Ilex Vomitoria it is a natural emetic. Eaten raw it will make you vomit up your toenails.
We had a kid in scouts that just had to test that theory. I never saw anyone vomit like he did. He was sick as a dog. It made me happy to see him suffer actually since he was always trouble under even the most normal circumstances.
You make tea out of it. I want nothing to do with it.
The stuff also is waxy and burns explosively. I almost learned that the hard way burning a big pile of it.
WHO KNEW???
This stuff grows wild all over the place, more of it than anything else except pine trees for stinkin MILES...plenty Huckleberries too, which is a close relative of Yaupon, Huckleberries also produce edible berries that make great muffins. Also have several Sassafras bushes in the yard. I forgot, didn’t have sassafras tea this winter...usually do. Sassafras leaves, dried, are used as gumbo file, (pronounced fee’-lay) for you gumbo cooks. Check the label, one ingredient. Sassafras.
I’ll be picking some Yaupon today, try this out. It’s literally the most numerous plant in the neighborhood. Pine trees might outnumber it, maybe.
I was amazed to find out yaupon was being sold as shrubs in Houston, that stuff gets established and it’s near impossible to eliminate. It can grow back if you cut it off at ground level. And a half dozen trunks or more grow from the one cut off trunk...Only way to completely eliminate a yaupon bush is to cut it off at the ground and either rip out the roots, or build a fire on top of the stump.
Yes, I’m serious, I’ve been dealing with this stuff for 30 years. Impossible to completely remove once it gets started. Never knew it could be a good tea.
Will it make you vomit?
Not according to a half dozen articles I just read. Native Americans used it in a herbal concoction after fasting several days, then they would drink large quantities of a very strong drink, Black Drink, which included other herbs, those most likely causing the vomiting. After a 5 day fast, a quart of water will probably make you puke. Almost anything in quantity would. In the small amounts used for a tea, very unlikely.
According to what I’ve read the past hour, the typical recipe of 1 1/2 tsp to 1 TBSP roasted leaves, steeped in 6 oz water won’t even come close to acting as a purgative.
I’ll know soon, if it dries out a little, I’ll have some ready to roast before sundown.
Oh yeah...to roast it.
Clean and dry the leaves, crush and roast in a baking sheet for 15 minutes at 350F.
Instructions vary, 8 minutes at 400, 8 minutes at 300, 15 minutes at 350. I think I’ll start with 15 at 350.
To begin with, 1.5 teaspoon in a 6 oz cup of water, steep for 5 minutes.
Another recipe said boil crushed, roasted leaves, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stir occasionally, comes out dark. Very similar to the way I make sassafras tea, but I simmer it 10 minutes then let it steep another 10. Yes, I like it strong.
Whichever recipe you decide on, you can let it sit and leaves will settle to the bottom, pour it off slowly, strain through a typical tea strainer, or use a french press coffee pot.
Honey or sugar to sweeten may be needed.
ARE THERE SAFETY CONCERNS?
Holly BERRIES are poisonous and UNSAFE for use. Eating berries may be deadly.
There isn’t enough information available to know if holly LEAVES are safe for use. The leaves can cause side effects such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and stomach and intestinal problems. Swallowing holly leaf spines may tear or puncture the inside of the mouth and other parts of the digestive tract.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Do not eat the berries. They can kill you. There isn’t enough information to know whether using the leaves as medicine during pregnancy or breast-feeding is safe. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.
Children: Eating holly berries can kill a child. Be sure to keep holly away from children.
Dehydration: In addition to being poisonous, holly berries can make dehydration worse because they cause vomiting and diarrhea.
Incorrect levels of chloride, calcium, magnesium, sodium, or potassium (electrolyte imbalance) in the body: In addition to being poisonous, holly berries can make an electrolyte imbalance worse because they cause vomiting and diarrhea.