Caffeine in Herbal Teas: Which Have It and Which Do Not

Short answer: a review says herbal teas do not contain caffeine, and rooibos is repeatedly described as caffeine free. [1][2] But yerba mate and guayusa are plants that do contain caffeine, blends can include true tea, and "decaffeinated" does not mean caffeine free. Information only; ask a pharmacist or clinician if caffeine matters for your health or medicines.

What the sources say, drink by drink

Names checked against GBIF: Ilex paraguariensis A.St.-Hil., Ilex guayusa Loes. and Aspalathus linearis (Burm.f.) R.Dahlgren are accepted names. [8]

Reading the numbers carefully

• The yerba mate and guayusa figures come from laboratory analysis and use units (per gram of dry matter, percent of leaf). They cannot be turned into milligrams per cup without information the abstracts we read do not give.
• A lab survey of drinks in Lima, Peru measured caffeine in a group of herbal teas at 0.47 to 4.91 mg/L. [9] The abstract does not say which plants were sampled, so we cannot assign this to any one tea. Treat it as a reminder that small amounts may turn up, not as a result for a named herb.
• The same review that says herbal teas have no caffeine also lists caffeine among alkaloids reported across a group of teas that includes barley tea and jasmine-scented tea. [1] The review does not make clear which of those contain it, so check each product.

Reading a label

• US law, as the FDA describes it, requires caffeine to be listed in the ingredient list when it is added to a packaged food as a stand-alone ingredient. [3]
• A cafe or restaurant is not required by law to tell you how much caffeine is in what it serves. [3] You can ask.
• A 2026 content analysis of 12 diet teas found "caffeine-free or gentle detox positioning" among the marketing themes. [10] That is a marketing claim; the study abstract does not test what the teas contain. See the laxative and detox tea claim check.
• Read the full ingredient list, including plant names and parts: reading an ingredient list.

Who may need to pay extra attention

• For most adults, the FDA has cited 400 mg of caffeine a day as an amount not generally associated with negative effects, with wide variation in sensitivity. [3]
• Certain conditions and some medications can make people more sensitive to caffeine. [3]
• If you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breastfeeding, the FDA recommends talking to your health care provider. [3] See pregnancy and breastfeeding.
• The Dietary Guidelines, as quoted by the FDA, say drinks containing caffeine should be avoided for children younger than age 2. [3]

Caffeine and sleep are covered in caffeine, alcohol and sleep. For coffee and true tea see coffee and black tea. Pages on yerba mate and rooibos tea go deeper.