Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

ShrubsTrees

Coffea arabica

Arabian coffee

An evergreen shrub or tree to 8m, with opposite pairs of glossy, dark green leaves. Once plants are about 4 years old, small, white, fragrant flowers are produced in the leaf axils in summer; these are followed by green fruits that ripen over several months to red "cherries". Each fruit contains two seeds (coffee beans) and under ideal conditions it should be possible to harvest enough for a cup of home-grown coffee

Other common names

arabica coffee
coffee

Save to My plants

Buy this plant

Plant nurseries
4 suppliers

Ultimate height

4–8 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

2.5–4 metres

Loam

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

H1A

Botanical details

Family: Rubiaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Coffea are a genus of flowering shrubs or small trees, native to tropical and southern Africa and tropical Asia. The seeds of some species are more commonly known as coffee beans and the white flowers are highly fragranced
Name status: Correct
Plant range: NE trop. Africa

How to grow

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

Propagation

Propagate by sowing fresh seed. Germination may be erratic

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Houseplants
Conservatory and greenhouse

Pruning

May require restrictive pruning under glass

Pests

May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite

Diseases

High Risk Host for Xylella fastidiosa

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.