Ephedra lives in all arid places in the southwest and Mexico and there are traditions with Ephedra that have specific regional origins and accounts. The plant is considered a tea producing plant and has come to be known by many names, including Mormon Tea and Whorehouse Tea. During the gold rush, the Native Americans were seen using it in medicinal ways, to tend and sooth the typical ailments of daily life. The eastern flow of alien settlers made a stimulant to drink for lack of coffee, and there was hope that it cured syphilis and other diseases. Everyone seemed to find it was good for digestion and head ache and none of this is surprising since it turns out Ephedra contains fair amounts of the drug named -- you guessed it -- Ephedrine, which apparently is some kind of mild stimulant. One thing, though: the plant is much more fun to tend and enjoy than it is to drink.
Mormon Tea is also sometimes called "Cowboy Tea" but it's really rare to ever see a cowboy drinking it. Still, the plant is a slow to moderate grower reaching 5 feet all around in a few years time. They are pure xeric plants, needing little to no care once established.
Mormon Tea is also sometimes called "Brigham Weed" with wild erotic tales about local taboos against cavorting on caffeen. Ephedrine hadn't been named yet.
As a native evergreen, Ephedra is a delight to grow.
It is common to see Ephedra growing among several high profile plants in the Great Basin Desert, all of which we carry at our Garden Shop.
