The popular writer on edible wild plants, Euell Gibbons, who was not an expert in ethnobotany, believed the Europeans improperly assumed the black drink to be the Ilex vomitoria infusion, asserting that it was an entirely different drink made from various roots and herbs and did have emetic properties.
The popular writer on edible wild plants, Euell Gibbons, who was not an expert in ethnobotany, believed the Europeans improperly assumed the black drink to be the Ilex vomitoria infusion, asserting that it was an entirely different drink made from various roots and herbs and did have emetic properties.
You are correct. You do not want t eat the berries. Not from any hollie plant.
Exactly....I was just about to give the same warning. The Indians brewed it very dark (hence the Spanish name, black drink) and used it in religious ceremonies for “cleansing” purposes. It also caused a rapid heartbeat and hallucinations.
If you don’t get carried away and make it too strong, however, it’s a drinkable, black-tea like beverage, although it tastes a little too “leafy” for me.
“Yaupon is Ilex vomitoria for a reason. “
indeed .. and the reason is that the Europeans who named it INCORRECTLY believed it was an emetic ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilex_vomitoria
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ilvo