Family: Rubiaceae
Common Name: Coffee

This is a genus of about 40 species of trees and shrubs native to tropical Africa and the Mascarene Islands. These pretty evergreens have cream or white, scented flowers and small, two-seeded, red berries. While C. arabica and C. liberica are cultivated on a mass scale for their seeds, or coffee 'beans', gardeners generally grow them only as ornamental plants.

Species

C. arabica, Arabian coffee, is the main source of quality coffee. It is also a decorative garden plant. This shrub grows to 4.5 m (15 ft), with shiny, oval, dark green leaves, red fruit and fragrant, white flowers in late summer.

C. canephora, robusta coffee, is used in the manufacture of instant coffee.

C. liberica, Liberian coffee, produces a rather inferior coffee with a bitter flavor. It has a shrubby growth habit, to 6m (20 ft), and produces white, summer flowers and black fruit.

Cultivation

In frost-prone climates, coffee plants are grown as foliage pot plants in an intermediate to warm greenhouse or conservatory. They are easily grown in soil-based potting compost and they relish high humidity. Propagate from seed sown in spring, or from semi-ripe cuttings in summer. Provide bottom heat for both.

Climate

Zone 10.