THE WANDER SCHOOL
  • About
    • About Abby
    • About the Non-Profit
  • Botany Breakdown
  • Herb School
  • Blog
  • OFFERINGS
    • The WANDER Shop
    • Classes & Events
    • The Herbal Handbook for Homesteaders
    • Patreon: Exclusive Content
    • Foraging Wild Spices Online Course
    • Botanical Property Surveys
    • Short Term Apprenticeships
  • Podcast
  • Contact
  • Support

The WANDER School's Blog

Wander, Forage, & Wildcraft: Episode #15 - Yaupon Lou

3/3/2021

2 Comments

 
Picture
Click to set custom HTML
Wander, Forage, & Wildcraft · Wander, Forage & Wildcraft: Episode #15 - Meet Yaupon Lou
PictureYaupon growing at Temples Farm (one of the Yaupon Teahouse farms) with those saponin rich berries

If you have followed me (Abby) on social media at all lately, you know I've gone yaupon crazy! "What is yaupon?" It's a holly native to the United States and the only native North American source of (any noticeable amount) caffeine. It's been called the "Black Drink" and a "panacea" for good reason.

How does one go from being a commodity trader to a tea salesman and researcher? Lou met yaupon on a guided walk led by a naturalist (much like the ones I lead) on Ossabaw Island, a barrier island in Georgia a decade ago. The word, "Ossabaw," means, "land where the yaupon grows," in the language of the Guale Tribe who were the original inhabitants of the island.

"As soon as he started talking, I welled up and knew that my life had changed, that I was gonna be with yaupon for the rest of my life." 













​

Lou tells us how it was a sacred plant for ceremony, a stimulant, and health-supporting drink. Lou's mission is to introduce the general public to yaupon and its health benefits through his extensive research. He also goes into the controversy and the theory over the botanical name (Ilex vomitoria). I'll warn you, it's high historical drama!
​
"Part of our mission is to pay homage to that profound knowledge that the Native Americans {had/have about} this plant."


​It was traded far and wide. Like cacao, which it was traded for, it also contains theobromine. The plant is being studied for possible benefits to the immune and respiratory system, brain, as a blood sugar balancer, and cholesterol reducer, amongst others.

Lou and his wife, Lori Judge, co-founded and own The Yaupon Teahouse + Apothecary, where they create delicious tea blends that are sold in loose leaf form, tea bags, and ready to drink cans (not "sodas" like I said in the interview), along with other locally made yaupon products. 

"We have the smallest leaves of the holly trinity, but the most magic."

Make sure tojoin us on Patreon to "nerd out" on the research that Lou is doing with yaupon while supporting the production of the podcast.

If you missed the plant walk at Temples Farm (the Yaupon Teahouse farm in Metter, Georgia), sign up for the email list here on the website, to get notified of upcoming walks and the women's herbal retreat we're planning for this summer. 

One of Lou's favorite Yaupon recipes:

Yaupon leaves
Wax myrtle (aka bayberry) leaves
Yaupon honey

Wax myrtle grows wild in the same habitat as yaupon. Infuse the leaves in just boiled water for 5 minutes or more. Add yaupon honey to taste. Enjoy the delicious health-supporting benefits often.

Lou's Bio:

Lou, a former rice trader, was introduced to a yaupon tree in a maritime forest. Lou knew his life was about to take a dramatic turn. He dove deep into the Yaupon ethnohistory and benefits, and has never looked back. He and his wife, Lori, own the first two modern yaupon farms, first yaupon processing factory, first Yaupon retail store and are the first to receive a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant for yaupon.

"It was all about getting back into harmony with what nature provides."

Check out the Yaupon Teahouse + Apothecary
Connect with the @yauponteahouse on Instagram 

Picture
A scene from the Yaupon Teahouse + Apothecary
2 Comments

    Want to help us continue to do this important work
    of spreading botanical education during this difficult time?


    Join us for ongoing education on Patreon starting at just 5 bucks a month

    Become a Patron!
    or make a one-time donation via PayPal.



    About Abby

    Picture
    Founder of the WANDER (Wild Artemisia Nature Discovery, Empowerment, and Reconnection) School, Botanist, Herbalist, & Professional Forager, Abby Artemisia, lives in rural Appalachian North Carolina. She learned about plants playing in the Midwestern woods of Ohio, working on organic farms, an herbal apprenticeship, a bachelor's degree in Botany from Miami University, and running her own tea business. She teaches about plant identification, native plants, and working with plants for food and medicine throughout the country. Her mission is offering nature and herbal education to create healing through connection with the natural world and each other. She is the author of The Forager's Wild Edible and Herbal Plant Cards and The Herbal Handbook for Homesteaders. She is the host of the podcast Wander, Forage, and Wildcraft, founder of The WANDER School, and co-founder of The Sassafras School of Appalachian Plantcraft

    Browse Topics

    All
    Free Resources
    Plant Walks
    Podcast
    Virtual Learning

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    April 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    March 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016

    Categories

    All
    Free Resources
    Plant Walks
    Podcast
    Virtual Learning

    RSS Feed

Abby Artemisia | The WANDER School Nonprofit
Photo used under Creative Commons from alh1
  • About
    • About Abby
    • About the Non-Profit
  • Botany Breakdown
  • Herb School
  • Blog
  • OFFERINGS
    • The WANDER Shop
    • Classes & Events
    • The Herbal Handbook for Homesteaders
    • Patreon: Exclusive Content
    • Foraging Wild Spices Online Course
    • Botanical Property Surveys
    • Short Term Apprenticeships
  • Podcast
  • Contact
  • Support