Arabian Coffee (Coffea Arabica)

Features and Characteristics

Coffea arabica, commonly called Arabian coffee, is an upright tropical evergreen shrub or small tree that grows to 10-15’ tall. Although native to Ethiopia, Arabian coffee has been cultivated in Arabia for over 1000 years. It is now commercially grown in subtropical and tropical areas throughout the world. In coffee plantations, plants are kept trimmed to 6’ tall for ease of harvest and best production. Indoor container plants typically grow to about 4-6’ tall. Plants feature (a) glabrous, glossy, elliptical, dark green leaves with prominent veins and wavy margins, (b) fragrant (resembles the aroma of jasmine), star-shaped, white flowers that bloom in axillary clusters of 2-9, (c) green two-seeded fruits (berries) that gradually mature to yellow, light red and finally deep red and (d) fissured bark on older branches. Berries are edible with a pulpy grape-like texture, but it is the seeds (coffee beans) that are coveted. Berries are picked by hand when ripe and depulped, with the extracted seeds/beans then dried in the sun before roasting. Coffee beans contain caffeine.

Genus name comes from the Arabic word kahwah meaning beverage.

Specific epithet means of Arabia.