I am trying to find someone to identify plants here that were > used by Creek. There are 2 plants that are very similiar one is Yaupon and > the other looks almost identical. Mvhayv Hello Mvhayv, I don't know if I can identify with words, but yaupon has tiny leaves. The bark is light gray in color. The female plant has red berries throughout the year, expecially around Christmas time. You probably already know that this plant is the sacred "black drink" of the Creeks. I've taken it many times, both ceremonially and socially. Yaupon was the only plant containing caffeine that the southern NDN's had. It was thought to be poisonous by the first whites who observed the partakers vomiting. It was scientifically called Illex Vomitoria. But consider that it was drunk in huge amounts to purge the system. If we drank modern coffee or tea in the same amounts, we'd vomit also. After vomiting out the stomach contents, followed by the huge caffeine jolt that the yaupon delivered, the NDN's became "clear headed" and ready to make important decisions which their meetings called for. Interesting, whites also used this native tea when India tea wasn't available. An interesting book on the subject is "Black Drink, A Native American Tea" edited by Charles M. Hudson. Another plant that looks similar to me, is the cursed "English Privet", an intrusive plant, introduced from Europe. Paul Hornsby