Something tea-adjacent I've been drinking lately, a caffeinated holly and the only caffeinated plant native to North America. It's related to the Mate and Guayusa hollies from South America.
I really like yaupon holly, i got some lightly roasted leaves from an etsy person in north carolina. Im planning on checking out some local nurserys to have my own trees once im ready, last year i tried to grow camellia sinises but it could not thrive on my land - did have an amazing tea flower tea from it though, and one singular brewing of a very basic and early white tea. I think the yaupon holly will really thrive where i am, cant wait to find out if so!
I make it in the gongfu style of a fragrant oolong - very short fast steps - 3g in a 120ml gaiwan, 85c water, steeped for not more than a few seconds for the first handful of steeps. My batch has a long life, over 12 steeps, and ive pushed it 20 and it was still fine
Definitely worth checking out, especially if you live where it grows natively