General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Shrub
Tree
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Partial or Dappled Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Soil pH Preferences: Slightly acid (6.1 – 6.5)
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 10b +1.7 °C (35 °F) to +4.4 °C (40 °F)
Plant Height: 10 to 15 feet
Plant Spread: 8 to 15 feet
Leaves: Evergreen
Fruit: Showy
Other: Green drupe (cherry) turning bright red to purple at maturity, usually containing 2 seeds.
Flowers: Showy
Fragrant
Other: Scent similar to that of Jasmine.
Flower Color: White
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Spring
Late spring or early summer
Underground structures: Taproot
Edible Parts: Seeds or Nuts
Eating Methods: Cooked
Fermented
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Toxicity: Other: its beans are VERY toxic to pets, however, it doesn't grow beans much in cold areas so it's pretty much non-toxic if you don't count a stomach ache if the leaves are bitten
Propagation: Seeds: Self fertile
Propagation: Other methods: Cuttings: Stem

Image
Common names
  • Coffee
  • Arabian Coffee
  • Mountain Coffee

Photo Gallery
Location: Fairfax, VA | August, 2022
Date: 2022-08-15
Location: Billings MT
Date: 2020-07-02
Location: Ontario Canada
New leaves. Plant is growing under led light.
Location: sarasota florida
Date: 2016-03-30
growing outdoors in part sun
Location: La Fortuna, Costa Rica | Old Photo
Date: 2022-12-17
Location: Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor, MI
Date: 2009-03-28
Location: Osaka Prefectural Flower Garden, Osaka, Japan.
Date: March 6, 2011
Photo by KENPEI
Location: Ingleside. Illinois
Date: 2022-07-17
Location: La Fortuna, Costa Rica | Old Photo
Date: 2022-12-17
Location: La Fortuna, Costa Rica | Old Photo
Date: 2022-12-17
Location: La Fortuna, Costa Rica | Old Photo
Date: 2022-12-17
Location: Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor, MI
Date: 2009-03-28

Date: 2013-09-05
Five year old tree growing in a large container.
Location: Ingleside. Illinois
Date: 2022-07-17

Date: 2021-09-08

Green beans on stem.
Location: Ontario Canada
Date: 2019-08-19
Location: Fairfax, Virginia (Outdoors)
Photo by sedumzz
Location: NYBG 
Date: June 14 22
Location: Southwest Florida
Date: October 2015
unripe coffee beans
Location: St Louis
Date: 2008-06-29

Date: 2018-04-12
Location: Ellis garden 
Date: 2017-02-23
Photo by sedumzz
Photo by sedumzz
Location: Sarasota, FL
Date: 2015-04-30
At Selby Gardens
Photo by treehugger
Location: Bradenton, Florida
Date: 2014-06-01
newly sprouted coffee beans

Date: 2015-02-25
Location: Austin ,TX
Date: 2012-07-29
Location: Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor, MI
Date: 2009-03-28
Location: Munich Botanical Garden, Germany
Date: April
credit: Diego Delso
Photo by RobertB
Location: Sarasota, FL
Date: 2015-04-30
At Selby Gardens
Location: Elkhart
Date: 2019-11-03
Coffee
Location: central Illinois-Washington Park Botanical Garden -Springfield, Il.
Date: 12-5-15
Location: central Illinois-Washington Park Botanical Garden -Springfield, Il.
Date: 2015-12-05

Date: 2016-03-20
Comments:
  • Posted by sallyg (central Maryland - Zone 7b) on Apr 3, 2019 5:53 PM concerning plant:
    You might find a baby coffee plant, they are pretty common among the 3-4 inch starter plants. They will branch sideways. It seems pretty easy care for me (3-4 years) and has been in my low light bedroom all winter with barely a hiccup. Leaves are dark green, slightly wavy, and glossy- pretty! Wilts when dry, but recovers well, seems to be sort of a thirsty plant.
    Adding this Feb 1 2020- I have a ripe bean on my plant, it must be self fertile or pollinate very easily, as I only noticed very few flowers on it in summer.
    Update Feb 2021 Still have the plant, still thriving, looking great in a corner for winter between an east and a south window. Pest free.
    Update April 2023 - Coffee had spent summers in shade outside and grown well. Fall of 2022 I took it to work for winter, set by tall windows. It is loaded with blooms right now, started in about March, blooms on new wood. But it gets dry quickly, (very dry air) has lost a lot of older leaves and got a bad case of mealybugs. The need for humidity and the problem of me making sure its watered properly at work are a bad combination for this big bush. I've brought it home and am planning a major prune and repot. I do have one of it's babies, from a cherry it made last year.
    Update September 2023 - as the branches had lost most leaves and only have a few leaves at the wnds, I tried cutting a few branches in early summer to about halfway to induce new growth from the bare branches. None of them has any new growth. Mealybugs returned, and also found the baby plant. Alcohol and water mix spray knocks them back but you must always follow up.
Plant Events from our members
Kristine1212 On April 11, 2018 Seeds sown
theinferno On March 17, 2019 Maintenance performed
Fertilized with some 10-10-4 fert sticks.
theinferno On March 16, 2019 Potted up
Split the rootball and put 3 seedlings in one pot and one in another.
theinferno On March 14, 2019 Obtained plant
theinferno On June 1, 2018 Obtained plant
Approximate date. Nothing was done with him for a long time, he just chilled in his nice big pot.
theinferno On June 1, 2018 Deadheaded
antsinmypants On March 24, 2022 Transplanted
Transplanted to a larger pot because roots were starting to come out the bottom of the pot causing it to lose a couple leaves.

Potting soil stated that it has 6 months of fertilizer in it.
antsinmypants On March 4, 2022 Obtained plant
Looked great upon arrival.
antsinmypants On February 25, 2022 Seeds sown
6 seeds. Soaked for 24 hours & placed in vermiculite on heat mat.
antsinmypants On February 28, 2021 Seeds sown
10 Seeds sown indoors under lights after a 24 hour soak.
» Post your own event for this plant

Discussion Threads about this plant
Thread Title Last Reply Replies
Coffee Seedlings by RobertB Aug 24, 2014 8:14 AM 0

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