Coffee (Coffea arabica)
Grow and brew your own coffee beans! Coffea arabica is the leading cultivar in coffee production worldwide. The coffee plant is a very beautiful and special small fruiting tree/shrub. Each tree is covered with beautiful green, waxy leaves growing opposite each other in pairs. Coffee cherries grow along the branches. Because it grows in a continuous cycle, it’s not unusual to see flowers, green fruit and ripe fruit simultaneously on a single tree.
Did you know that the coffee plant also makes an awesome houseplant? Considered to be among the easiest and hardiest of houseplants, coffee plant is great for both experienced or beginner gardeners. Not only is coffee plant care easy, but the plant itself is lovely and makes a wonderful addition to the home.
Plant Type:
Tropical/Subtropical Evergreen Fruit Tree/Shrub
Harvest Season:
Winter, Spring, Summer
Coffea arabica: 9 months from flower to ripe cherry
Coffea liberica: 12-14 months from flower to ripe cherry
It takes nearly a year for a cherry to mature after first flowering, and about 5 years of growth to reach full fruit production. While coffee plants can live up to 100 years, they are generally the most productive between the ages of 7 and 20. Proper care can maintain and even increase their output over the years, depending on the variety. The average coffee tree produces 10 pounds of coffee cherry per year, or 2 pounds of green beans. (National Coffee Association)
Mature Size:
Coffea arabica: Up to 6-15 ft. Can take excessive pruning in the summer. Prized Bonsai specimen.
Coffea liberica: Up to 65 ft! Foliage and cherries are much larger!
Soil & Moisture:
Rich well-draining moist soil with high humidity. When growing coffee plants, the soil needs to stay moist, but not soaking wet. Also, make sure that both the soil and the pot your coffee plant is growing in has good drainage. The humidity around the plant will need to stay high as well. Setting your coffee plant on a water-filled pebble tray will help with humidity. Needs less water in the winter than in the summer.
Light Requirements:
Full Sun, Part Shade, Shade
Self-Fertile:
Coffea arabica: YES
Coffea liberica: NO, requires pollination
Growth Rate:
Coffea arabica: Medium, Slow
Coffea liberica: Fast
Zone Hardiness:
Outdoors 9-11 with frost protection; Patio/Greenhouse 4+
Propagation:
Our Coffee is grown from seed and capable of producing fruit within 2-3 years.
See More:
Sow Exotic offers two varieties of coffee plants; Coffee arabica and Coffea liberica
