Coffea arabica

The Coffea arabica, also known as the Coffee plant or Arabian coffee plant, is a unique shrub native to East Africa. It has a fascinating habit of producing berries, known as 'cherries', each containing two coffee beans. This plant thrives in temperatures between 15 and 25°C, making it a perfect choice for indoor cultivation in greenhouses or heated verandas. Despite not being a coffee provider, it is highly appreciated for its shiny foliage, pyramidal habit, and white, fragrant summer flowering. The coffee plant, or Arabian coffee plant, is a shrub native to East Africa and widely spread in tropical regions, especially in Central and South America, where it is cultivated for its production of berries, called "cherries", each containing two coffee beans. It thrives in temperatures between 15 and 25°C, so it is cultivated indoors, in greenhouses or in heated verandas. Not demanding, it is appreciated for its shiny foliage, pyramidal habit, and its white and fragrant summer flowering, but don't expect it to provide you with coffee!

The Coffea arabica is a perennial shrub with evergreen foliage belonging to the Rubiaceae family. It is native to East Africa: Ethiopia, South Sudan, Kenya, Yemen, and Arabia. The only coffee plant cultivated until 1865 is widely spread in tropical regions, especially in Central America (Costa Rica, Honduras) and South America (Brazil), where it is cultivated for coffee production. The Arabian coffee plant is a small tree, less than 5 to 8 m tall in the wild, which appreciates the shade of more giant trees. It forms a shrub with a pyramidal habit. Its elliptical, veined, evergreen leaves have a short petiole and are dark green and shiny. Alternatively, they measure about 5 cm wide and 13 cm long. The white flowers are grouped in clusters of 3 to 7 in the axils of the leaves. Their gamopetalous corolla is tubular with 4 or 5 lobes. The fruits are berries, called "cherries", bright red or purple when ripe, with sweet pulp. They contain two seeds, placed face to face, with the characteristic shape of coffee beans.

Potted Coffee plants reach approximately 1.5 m in height. They present themselves as lovely small trees with relatively slow growth and elegant foliage, which easily adorn themselves with pleasantly scented small flowers. The flowering occurs in summer, when the plant is 3 or 4 years old. It consists of small star-shaped white flowers gathered in clusters. It is a tropical plant that cannot tolerate frost. Never expose it to temperatures below 13°C, as it would lose its leaves, and below 0°C, it would perish.

The Coffea arabica is a beautiful indoor plant that thrives easily in a bright room in the house, in a greenhouse, or on a heated veranda. It should be placed in a very bright location, but without direct sunlight, except perhaps in winter. The temperatures of our interiors suit it well all year round, especially if the atmosphere is slightly humid.