With a little patience, these a very rewarding with not only their attractive glossy green leaves but they make for an excellent house plant with their low light requirements due to their native environment (Ethiopia) of being an understory (shaded by other trees) plant. The plants will produce beautiful white blossoms in the spring, (indoor or out) followed by green fruits that eventually ripen to red and then black. Once the fruit turns black, it can be harvested and each fruit contains 2 seeds. Coffee plants grow fast, but it takes a couple of years before you get fruit, which will become more abundant with each season. Many grow this plant for its ornamental beauty as a house plant, with the beans as a bonus. 


Germination temperatures are around 77 degrees with medium light. Soak the seeds in luke-warm water for 24 hours before planting. 

Growing requirements are between 70 and 80 degrees during the day and 65 and 70 degrees at night. Be sure to keep soil consistently moist at all times and spray the whole plant as they prefer high humidity. Placing a cup or bowl of water near the plant can help to keep humidity higher as the water evaporates. After sprouting, they prefer indirect light to morning sun(eastern facing window). In very cold climates where the lighting is lessened in winter, you may want to consider more sunlight in a southern facing window. If the plant is getting too much light or not enough humidity, the leaf edges will turn brown. 


Coffee prefers a slightly acidic soil. Be sure to include sphagnum peat moss in the soil (the bagged kind not the mossy kind for orchids) Perlite is also helpful for drainage.


Grows 12-24 inches tall. The plant produces beautiful sweet smelling flowers that smell like jasmine, followed by berries that mature into the beans. Harvest when the fruit turns black and remove the fruit. 


Perennial zones 9-11, Can be grown in any zone indoors. If planting in zones 9-11, be sure to give them shade by planting in an area that is shaded by other plants/trees or an area that receives morning sun only. 


PLEASE NOTE: I HIGHLY RECOMMEND PURCHASING 10 SEEDS AS COFFEE SEEDS HAVE A NATURALLY LOW GERMINATION RATE UNLESS PLANTED VERY QUICKLY FROM THE MOTHER PLANT, AT 30-40%. 5 SEEDS MAY NOT GUARANTEE ANY RESULTS. ALSO NOTE THAT THESE SEEDS WILL REQUIRE SOME PATIENCE AS THEY TAKE 60-90 DAYS TO GERMINATE. BE PREPARED TO PROVIDE THEM WITH THE RIGHT CONDITIONS FOR SUCCESS.


Photo Credit (1) Severin Candrian