Yerba Mate: Plant Characteristics: growth and how is it harvested
This yerba mate tree is native to the Paraná rainforest, which stretches between Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. It is part of a large family of species with more than 600 varieties; Ilex Paraguariensis is the only variety used for yerba mate production.
The yerba mate tree grows 10-30 meters tall in its natural state; however, it remains below 2 meters for harvest. The leaves are evergreen, thick, and dark green. The plant bears small whitish flowers and small red balls, which are the fruit of yerba mate.
The name Ilex Paraguariensis comes from the region where the yerba mate infusion was originally drunk. “Paraguariensis” comes from “Paraguaria Province,” an area that encompassed Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia, Brazil, and Chile, where the Guaraní Jesuit missions were established.
The Ilex paraguariensis, or yerba mate, plant is cultivated primarily in the humid subtropical region of Argentina, in the provinces of Misiones and Corrientes, where rainfall reaches about 1,800 millimeters annually and average temperatures are 21°C.
The plant also requires the red soils typical of these regions, which provide the acidity and minerals it needs. The dried seeds are sown between March and April. The plants are taken to a nursery when they begin to leaf out, where they spend up to a year before being cultivated in the field, where they will remain for the next 3-5 years before the first harvest. The yerba mate plant can have a productive life of up to 100 years
Harvest!
Yerba mate infusion is obtained from the ground dried leaves and branches of the Ilex paraguariensis plant. Harvesting of yerba mate leaves is generally done manually (although some establishments also have special machines), beginning between January and May and extending through September. The harvest period can last up to 10 months. At the end of the harvest, the yerba mate tree regenerates and produces more leaves.
These yerba mate leaves are dried with heat and then crushed. After a carefully controlled ripening phase, comes the milling process, where the different parts of the plant are crushed and mixed in varying proportions before being packaged.
After packaging and distribution, yerba mate reaches supermarkets in consumer countries: Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, and parts of Chile; and is also exported to other countries around the world. Ready to be prepared as a delicious and very healthy infusion!