6 clear bottles holding different green herbs

Seven Non-Tea Plants that Contain Caffeine

May 21, 2025 Michele Lillie

The World of Tea is such a wonderful place to live. It is full of such variety, goodness and deliciousness. In this world, there is what is known as “real” tea or tea that is made from the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant. There are also herbal tisanes and fruit infusions. These are made from other plants. People often turn to these brews to avoid the caffeine that is found in “real” tea. However, not all herbal tisanes are caffeine-free. Here is a list of seven non-tea plants that contain caffeine.

As noted, all tea made from the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant contains caffeine, although the level may vary due to a myriad of factors, including how you brew it. Caffeine in tea is also somewhat attenuated by the presence of theanine, another chemical in tea. See this Caffeine blog post for a more in-depth discussion. Let’s now turn to those few non-tea plants that also contain caffeine.

Image of the globe with a red teapot pouring tea into a white cup in front of the globe

1. Yerba Mate

What we call Yerba Mate originates from the Ilex paraguariensis tree, a plant belonging to the holly family.
Centuries ago, the local people of Paraguay discovered this plant. They began cultivating it and would dry the leaves and twigs to brew in hot water. Later, when the Spanish came, they also started to drink it. At one time, it was a major export for Paraguay. Today, it is cultivated in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.
Other names for this beverage include chimarrao, Paraguay tea, mate, and terere.
Although it is not the only way to brew Yerba Mate, the ritualistic way uses a mate (a dried gourd), a bombilla (a special straw for drinking that filters out the leaves) and a thermos for transporting the hot water. According to one source, this is a communal activity that typically occurs in an outdoor location. The people joining in will sit in a circle, and one person, called the cebador, fills the mate about two-thirds full with leaves and adds a bit of hot water to release the flavors. The cebador then inserts the bombilla into the mate at an angle to ensure the straw doesn’t get plugged up and tops the mate up with water. This is then passed around, with everyone sipping from it. The mate will continue to be refilled with hot water.
The flavor is described as herbal, woody, grassy, vegetal, and bitter.
The caffeine content has been measured to be approximately 80 mg in an 8-ounce serving, although the actual amount can vary depending on the variety of plant, where it is grown, and how the drink is brewed.

A blue mate vessel filled with yerba mate with a silver straw sticking out

2. Yaupon

The scientific name for the Yaupon plant is Ilex vomitoria and it is part of the holly family. This unappealing name originates from a practice among some Native American tribes, where Yaupon was one of the ingredients in a drink called “Black Drink.” This ritual was meant to induce vomiting although that reaction was not due to the Yaupon leaves but probably due to the excessive amounts of the drink that were consumed.
It has been consumed by Native Americans for thousands of years, often used in sacred ceremonies due to the belief that it purifies the mind and body while imbuing the drinker with strength, energy, and increased mental focus.
It is an interesting plant in that it is the only naturally caffeinated plant native to North America.
The average cup of yaupon has less caffeine than a cup of coffee. As with other caffeine-containing plants, the amount of caffeine can vary depending on the plant variety, the time of harvest, and growing conditions.

Red holly berries on a a green leafed holly plant

3. Guarana

Scientific names include Paullinia cupana and Paullinia sorbilis.
Colloquially, it is known as Brazilian cocoa.
The plant is native to Brazil and the Amazon basin and produces seeds from which the indigenous populations made a paste. This paste was formed into a stick and then ground into water to make a beverage. It was consumed to reduce fatigue as well as other perceived benefits.
The seeds are about the size of coffee beans. It is in these seeds that the caffeine is found, reportedly containing more than twice the caffeine of coffee beans. In fact, the Guarana seeds have been reported to have the highest caffeine content of any known plant.
Each seed contains 2-8% caffeine, and 1 gram of this seed contains approximately 47 mg of caffeine.
Today, it is often seen in non-tea beverages. It has been a common ingredient in Brazilian soft drinks since the early 1900s. In the United States, it has gained popularity as an ingredient in energy drinks.

4. Cola Nut/Kola Nut

The scientific names are Cola acuminata and Cola nitida.
Common names include bissy nut and guru nut.
The kola tree is a tropical evergreen native to West Africa, cultivated in Africa as well as in Central and South America. The kola nut is the fruit of this tree.It has been prized in Africa for its cultural symbolism and is still used for spiritual and ceremonial purposes.
The nuts are typically chewed. Fresh kola nuts are reported to have a bitter flavor that becomes milder when dried.
Each nut contains 1.25-2.4% caffeine.
As the name implies, this was originally used to make caffeine-containing carbonated beverages, such as Coca-Cola. Today, artificial flavoring is used.

black & white photo of two hands sharing a kola nut

5. Cacao Beans

Our beloved chocolate is made from cacao beans, Theobroma cacao.
Although it is not a significant source of caffeine, cacao beans do contain this stimulant.
In cacao products, such as chocolate, the amount of caffeine varies according to the percentage of cocoa they contain, with higher levels of caffeine found in those products with a higher percentage of cocoa.

four large cacao pods of differing colors of red, yellow and brown with a light brown pod cut open

6. Guayusa

This plant is native to Ecuador and, like yerba mate and yaupon, is a member of the holly family. For more information, please refer to the Blog Post.

white bowl filled with green guayusa leaves

7. Citrus Blossoms

A fun fact is that trace amounts of caffeine can be found in the leaves and flowers of some citrus plants, although not in the citrus fruit.
It is possible that even small amounts of caffeine can be found in the honey produced by bees that feast on these citrus blossoms.

photo of white orange blossom on a black background

If you are sensitive to caffeine, this post can help you identify some caffeine-containing plants to avoid. There are so many other caffeine-free herbal tisanes and fruit infusions that English Tealeaves carries. For more information, see this blog post and explore our collection of these delicious brews.

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