Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis)

Grow your own Yerba Mate and enjoy this popular South American tea as an alternative beverage to coffee. In Latin America, Yerba Mate is the beverage of choice and has a smoother taste than green tea, plus its loaded with antioxidants. The plant itself makes a wonderful potted plant for its graceful full-leafed branches. Under warm temperatures, it grows throughout the year, even in the north as a potted plant with flowers arriving during the winter and spring months. The leaves can be harvested once the plant is established.