Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis)

[Jaimie Sweetman is part of the Edible Forest located on the Yarra Valley Estate in Dixons Creek. There are regular tours of the Edible Forest – read more and book your place on a future tour.]

You may know yerba mate as an ingredient in many tea blends and its caffeinated leaves have been used for centuries to make a drink similar to black tea. First consumed by indigenous Guaraní people in Paraguay, it is now a popular drink in many South American countries.

This evergreen tree will not grow well outdoors in Melbourne but it will do well inside in a lit up room with consistent watering and looks quite nice as an indoor plant. We have ours in a hot house, where it has been growing quite happily for a couple years and is now getting big enough to harvest.

They do not mind a good prune and this can be simply done by harvesting leaves for cups of tea. They like fertile soil so, if growing in a potting mix, they will benefit from regular feedings.

In summary, this tree can be an indoor plant which both looks good and is useful, providing a great alternative to normal caffeinated drinks.