Grow your own Yerba Mate and enjoy this popular South American tea as an alternative beverage to coffee. In Latin America, Yerba Mate is the beverage of choice and has a smoother taste than green tea, plus its loaded with antioxidants. The plant itself makes a wonderful potted plant for its graceful full-leafed branches. Under warm temperatures, it grows throughout the year, even in the north as a potted plant with flowers arriving during the winter and spring months. The leaves can be harvested once the plant is established.