Yerba Mate Plant

The Yerba Mate Plant brings South America’s celebrated caffeinated infusion into the home garden and offers evergreen beauty and harvestable leaves.

The accepted botanical name is Ilex paraguariensis A.St.-Hil. Additionally, this subtropical member of the holly family develops glossy, serrated leaves. Cultivated plants respond well to pruning; therefore, growers often maintain them as compact shrubs for easier harvesting.

Common names include Yerba Mate, Yerba Maté, Mate, Maté, Erva-Mate, Erva-Mate Tree, Paraguay Tea, Paraguayan Tea, Brazilian Tea, Jesuit Tea, Jesuit’s Tea, Mission Tea, South American Holly, Congonha, Congonha-das-Missões, Erveira, Erva-Verdadeira, Paraná Tea, St Bartholomew’s Tea and Ka’a.

Indigenous Guaraní communities first valued the leaves of this species long before European colonisation. Over time, mate became central to daily life across Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil. In fact, friends and families share the drink as a gesture of welcome, conversation, and connection.

The dried leaves create an earthy, pleasantly bitter drink that people enjoy hot or cold. They also contain caffeine, along with vitamins and minerals. Traditionally, some drinkers sweeten the infusion with Stevia, a natural companion for this productive tea garden.

First, choose a protected position with bright, filtered light or partial shade. Next, rich, moist, well-drained soil suits it best. Also, protect plants from hard frost, drying winds, and prolonged drought. In favourable conditions, an unpruned evergreen plant may reach about six metres high and four metres wide.

Regular tip pruning encourages dense growth and keeps fresh foliage within reach. Once established, gardeners can then harvest selected mature leaves, while still leaving enough growth to support the plant.

We supply healthy plants in small pots suited to mail order. During the establishment period after transplanting, keep them moist and sheltered. Finally, choose from available sizes and pair your plant with Stevia for a traditional garden-to-cup combination.