Family: Aquifoliaceae
Scientific name: Ilex paraguariensis
Common name: Maté
Origin: South America

The young leaf of the mate plant is used in South America to make a tasty, invigorating drink: mate. To do this, the leaf is dried over an open fire, giving it a smoky flavour. After adding hot water, a bittersweet drink is created that has a similar effect to a cup of coffee due to the caffeine. Tereré is its cold version and can be drunk as an iced tea. The species grows as a shrub and can grow into a small tree of 10 meters high in South America. The origin of the species and the drink mate is in Paraguay, but it has now spread further through the southern part of South America. The plant is subtropical and can be kept as a room plant or outside in the summer at a minimum temperature of 5 degrees Celsius.

Sowing instructions: Soak seeds for 24 hours in lukewarm water and then sow in seed and cutting soil. Keep the soil constantly moist and at 25-30 degrees Celsius. Germination is irregular and can take several weeks, but also several months. If necessary, you can try to sand the small seeds with sandpaper before soaking in water, so that germination can occur more quickly. 

Sowing time: All year
Difficulty: Intermediate
Minimum temperature: 5 degrees Celsius