3.1. Coffee plant 6809

🌿 Coffee Plant (scientifically known as Coffea arabica), commonly known as Arabian Coffee, is an attractive evergreen shrub in the Rubiaceae family, indigenous to the misty southwestern highlands and volcanic mountains of tropical Ethiopia and South Sudan. It is the world's most prized coffee-producing species, responsible for over 60% of global coffee production. It makes an outstanding, easy-to-care-for beginner houseplant that brings glossy, lush green elegance to interior spaces.
FUN FACT
Genetic sequencing by botanists reveals that Coffea arabica is the only allopolyploid species in its genus, originating from a rare prehistoric hybridization between Coffea canephora and Coffea eugenioides in Ethiopian forests.
FOLIAGE AND GROWTH HABIT
Coffea arabica grows as an upright, bushy shrub with gracefully horizontal, tiered branching. The leaves are elliptical with elegantly undulating, ruffled margins, arranged in opposite pairs along woody stems. The foliage is renowned for its intense, mirror-like deep emerald gloss, which reflects ambient light beautifully. In indoor pots, it typically reaches 60 to 120 centimetres in height, maintaining a compact, leafy profile that can be easily pruned to maintain a desired shape.
FLOWER DETAILS
After reaching 3 to 4 years of maturity, Coffea arabica produces clusters of star-shaped, pure white blossoms along its leaf axils during spring and summer. The blossoms emit an intoxicating, sweet floral perfume reminiscent of jasmine and orange blossom. The flowers are self-pollinating and last only a few days before giving way to small green berries that slowly ripen to bright red or deep crimson cherries over several months.
CARE INSTRUCTIONS
🌞 Light: Prefers bright, indirect sunlight for 6 to 8 hours daily. An east-facing window with gentle morning sun is ideal. Avoid harsh midday direct sun, which can brown the glossy leaf margins and cause leaf drop.
💧 Water: Keep the soil consistently and lightly moist, but never soggy. Water thoroughly when the top 2.5 centimetres of soil feel dry. Drooping foliage is a classic signal that the plant is thirsty and needs water.
🌡️ Humidity: Prefers moderate to high humidity between 50% and 70%. In dry winter heating conditions, mist foliage regularly, run a room humidifier, or place the pot over a pebble tray with water.
🪴 Soil: Thrives in a rich, slightly acidic (pH 6.0 to 6.5), fast-draining potting mixture composed of quality potting soil, peat moss, perlite, and composted bark to retain moisture without waterlogging.
🏺 Potting: Select a container with drainage holes that allows room for its vigorous root system. Repot every spring into a pot 3 to 5 centimetres larger until the plant reaches your preferred mature size.
🌱 Growth rate: Moderate to fast grower during spring and summer. With regular moisture and feeding, it produces multiple flushes of vibrant green leaves throughout the warm season.
👩‍🌾 Fertilizing: Feed every 2 to 3 weeks during spring and summer with a balanced, liquid tropical houseplant fertilizer diluted to half strength. Suspend fertilizing during the late autumn and winter resting period.
🐾 Pet friendly: No. According to the ASPCA, Coffee Tree (Coffea arabica) is toxic to cats and dogs due to caffeine and related methylxanthines. Ingestion of leaves, stems, or berries can cause restlessness, rapid breathing, elevated heart rate, vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, and in severe cases, seizures.
WHERE TO PUT IT
Coffea arabica is a charming botanical addition to kitchen counters, sunny breakfast nooks, living room side tables, and bright home offices. Set it near an east-facing window or 1 metre back from an unobstructed south- or west-facing window. Ensure it is shielded from cold winter window drafts and placed safely away from hot air vents and radiators that can desiccate the foliage.