Coffea arabica

Natural range of Coffea arabica

Coffea arabica is native to parts of north-eastern Africa, including south-western Ethiopia, northern Kenya and eastern South Sudan. It grows naturally as an evergreen shrub or small tree.

Arabica has been cultivated for centuries and became one of the world's main coffee crops. Cultivation spread from north-eastern Africa and Yemen into suitable tropical regions around the world.

Growing Coffea arabica indoors

• Water: Keep the mix lightly and evenly moist. When the top feels just dry, water again and let the excess drain away.
• Light: Bright filtered light or light shade works well. A little morning sun is fine once the leaves have adjusted.
• Humidity and temperature: Temperatures over about 15°C work well. The broad leaves prefer moderate to high humidity and shelter from strong dry drafts.
• Feeding: Established plants can be fed about every two weeks while they are growing. Use the dilution given on the product label.
• Repotting: Move up one pot size when roots fill the container or water starts running through much faster than usual.
• Potting mix: Use a fertile peat-free houseplant mix that drains well.

Coffea arabica leaf and pest problems

• Drooping leaves with dry mix: The mix has dried out too much. Rewet it thoroughly, then return to regular watering.
• Yellowing leaves with wet compost: The roots have been wet for too long. Wait until the surface has dried before watering again and make sure excess water can escape.
• Brown, crisp edges: A dry mix, very dry room air or strong drafts can damage the leaf edges. Check these conditions, adjust the watering if needed and move the plant out of a strong draft.
• Fine pale speckling or webbing: Webbing with pale speckling usually points to spider mites. Inspect both sides of the leaves and the stems, rinse the foliage well and check it again later. If new pale speckling appears, use a spider-mite product according to its label.

Coffea arabica is toxic to cats and dogs

• Keep the leaves, fruit and beans away from cats and dogs.
• They contain caffeine, which pets process poorly.
• Swallowing plant material may cause vomiting, restlessness, a rapid heartbeat or tremors. Contact a veterinarian promptly.

Why is it called Coffea arabica?

Coffea is the botanical Latin form of the coffee name, which reached European languages through Arabic qahwa. Arabica means Arabian, reflecting the cultivation and trade through which Europeans first knew the plant.

Carl Linnaeus established the genus Coffea in 1753 in Species Plantarum, page 172.

Carl Linnaeus first described Coffea arabica in 1753 in Species Plantarum, page 172.