About
Coffea canephora is a perennial shrub or small tree that can reach heights of up to 8 meters. It features pairs of glossy, dark green leaves arranged oppositely along the stems. During the summer months, it produces fragrant white flowers with five petals, which emerge from the leaf axils. These flowers give way to green fruits that take several months to mature, eventually turning into red berries commonly referred to as "cherries." Each berry typically contains two seeds, known as coffee beans.
About the genus
Coffea is a genus composed of flowering shrubs and small trees found in tropical and southern Africa as well as tropical Asia. Certain species produce seeds commonly referred to as coffee beans, and the plants bear white, fragrant flowers.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Partial shade
- Soil type
- Loam
- Soil pH
- Acid, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- East-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H1A
Plant details
- Plant type
- Shrubs, Trees
- Habit
- Columnar upright
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Height
- 4-8 metres
- Spread
- 1.5-2.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 5-10 years
- Suggested uses
- Houseplants
- Native to
- W Africa (Congo)
- Fragrance
- Flower
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Under glass grow in peat-free. loam-based potting compost with added extra organic matter. Provide moderate to high humidity and protect from draughts. Water freely during the growing season and apply a balanced liquid feed every two weeks; water moderately in winter. Repot every 2-3 years in spring
- Pruning
- See pruning group 9; may require restrictive pruning under glass
- Propagation
- Propagate by sowing fresh seed. Germination may be erratic
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite
- Disease resistance
- High Risk Host for Xylella fastidiosa