Flowering

I just wrote an article for the Mullet Wrapper (the Ocracoke Preservation Society newsletter) about a plant which is currently flowering around here: Yaupon. Among the interesting things I learned about this type of Holly tree is that it is quite hardy, thriving in the sandy soil and salty air of the Outer Banks which is much tougher on other plants. The leaves can be dried to make tea, something which was done by both the early Native Americans in the area and the Ocracokers who lived here years later. Contrary to the implication of its Latin name, Ilex vomitoria, Yaupon tea is not actually an emetic. Early Europeans, who observed Native Americans using Yaupon tea for purifcation rituals which involved vomiting, assumed that the tea was the cause, and gave it the misleading name. Scholars of Native American history and culture explain the truth: the vomiting was caused by the over-consumption of the liquid, not the chemical properties of the tea itself. So if you see Yaupon tea available for sale in a store on the island (yes, some people still dry the leaves and package them for purchase), buy some and give it a try! It's not all that delicious by itself, in my opinion (I add honey and lemon when I drink it), but it is said to be healthy (in the past, Ocracokers used it as a tonic and a cure for hangovers). At the very least, it will wake you up: the active ingredient is caffeine.