Welcome to the Yauponeer Blog!

 Hello,

First off, let me properly introduce myself. My name is Andrew R. Kiley, co-founder and CEO of Yaupon Tea Co. LLC. As a recent graduate from UNCW with a B.S. in Environmental Sciences, I have always been in-tune with the natural world, but my life forever changed when I first discovered yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria). With its almost countless health benefits, promising potential for restoring native ecosystems, and historical roots tracing back far into our landscape, I was officially hooked.

A little over a year later, thanks to the wonderful help and support of my very talented friend and co-founder Megan Rowe, the world was officially introduced to Yaupon Tea Co. LLC. We are a radically innovative local tea company born in Wilmington, NC committed to providing to the world the many wonders of Yaupon Holly, North America’s only native caffeinated plant.

Thanks to our unique geographical location and special care for the environment, we are able to sustainably wild harvest all our yaupon tea locally in direct collaboration with local farmers, land managers, and land owners. We can do this because yaupon holly, the very special plant we make our native caffeinated tea from, only grows right here in the southeastern US. More so, we are able to take advantage of its native restorative qualities to help revive ecosystems while we serve our delicious and sustainable yaupon tea!

This decentralized model greatly increases our resiliency and allows us to better focus our efforts on yaupon research, education, and local restoration projects, enlightening people on the many benefits of yaupon tea consumption, both for people and the environment. With around 17x the antioxidants of green tea and specialized natural molecules like caffeine, theobromine, and quercetin to help energize and sustain you throughout the day, at a fraction of the carbon footprint compared to imported coffee or tea, yaupon tea is a no-brainer for anyone looking to get more out of their daily caffeinated beverage. 

From the first harvest to the last pour, you can count on us. So join us on our journey to regenerate people, communities, and ecosystems with the many wonders of yaupon holly, the US’s original and best source of sustainable energy!

To many new beginnings… 

 Cheers,

 – Andrew