Coffee Bean plant: care tips and fun facts

Did you know that sixty percent of the coffee produced worldwide is from Arabica beans? This plant isn't just sweet and stylish, it's also very important for the global economy. How come, then, that so few of us actually know what a coffee bean plant actually looks like?

Well it's perhaps because it doesn't grow naturally in the UK. You'll find most coffee plantations in Ethiopia - where the Coffea Arabica (the correct name for this plant) is originally from, and Brazil, where it is grown at huge scale.

Here at Lazy Flora, coffee is one of our favourite things, so we were very excited to find out more about the plant that makes this magical substance. Here are some care tips and fun highlights we found when researching this supremely cool houseplant.

Watering

Keep the soil moist but not soggy. Don’t let the soil dry out completely, as this is a plant that enjoys humidity. Watch what the leaves do: they’re a great indicator of whether or not your plant has enough water. If they start to droop, you know the plant is in need of watering.

Once you have watered the plant, don’t allow the plant to stand in water. If there is any water left in a pool in the saucer or pot after 30 minutes, remove it.

Likes high humidity, so it will help to spray it with a spray bottle, if your home is on the dry side.

Position

Coffea Arabica is a tropical evergreen shrub that is originally from Ethiopia, but is now cultivated predominantly in South America, especially Brazil. It's geographical location tells you a little bit about the kind of conditions it is most likely to thrive in.

The ideal temperature for this plant is between 18 and 25 degrees, so in the UK, you're better off keeping it inside in a relatively warm part of your home.

The best place for this plant is in a bright position in indirect sunlight. It does not enjoy direct sunlight, as this can burn the leaves. It can grow in lower light too, but won’t thrive as much.

Appearance

The Coffee Bean plant has beautiful shiny, dark green leaves with crinkled edges.

These plants do produce flowers and then fruits, but you will need a bit of patience before you see these. They first start to produce fruit, which each contain two seeds that we know as coffee beans, when they are about six years old. The flowers are beautiful, white flowers, which smell a little like Jasmine (which we here at Lazy Flora just love!), which then grow green fruits, that turn red, then brown, and gradually drop off, containing the two magical coffee bean seeds that so many of us know and love.

If you loved our Coffee Bean plant, you might also like our indoor plant subscription.

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