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Ilex guayusa
Guayusa is an evergreen tree in the holly family, native to the upper Amazon of Ecuador, Peru and Colombia, grown mainly for its caffeinated leaves used as a tea. It is best grown as a warm, humid understorey tree with good drainage.
Ilex guayusa ( or ) is a species of tree in the holly family, Aquifoliaceae. It is native to the Amazon rainforest. One of four known caffeinated holly trees, the leaves of the guayusa tree are harvested fresh and brewed like a tea for their stimulative effects. It is known simply as guayusa in western languages like Spanish, as waisa in Kichwa and as wayus or wais in Shuar.
I. guayusa is native to the upper Amazonian regions of Ecuador, Peru, and southern Colombia, between 200–2,000 m (660–6,560 ft) of elevation. However, it has also been collected in Bolivia in 1939. It is present in evergreen or deciduous premontane forests, especially ones dominated by Dictyocaryum palms. Guayusa has been collected only rarely in the wild by botanists and is known almost exclusively as a cultivated plant (especially in the Ecuadorian provinces of Napo and Pastaza).
Leaves of Ilex guayusa are used to make an infusion, especially by the peoples of the Amazon basin, particularly in Ecuador, Peru and Colombia. After harvest, leaves are dried, which allows flavor to develop. In the three aforementioned countries, guayusa is also used in the preparation of artisanal alcoholic drinks.
English holly · Dahoon · Ilex chapaensis · Ilex chinensis · Large gallberry · Japanese holly · Marsh Holly · Possumhaw · Inkberry · Elegance female holly · Ilex kaushue · Tarajo Holly
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Ilex guayusa by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
