Arabica Coffee

Most people have a complicated relationship with coffee. This plant makes it simple. The Arabica Coffee plant is the same species responsible for the majority of the world's coffee supply the very beans behind your morning cup. Growing one indoors won't get you to a harvest, but it will get you one of the most interesting and beautiful small trees you can keep inside.

Coffea arabica has glossy, deep green leaves with a slightly wavy edge and a natural shine that catches light beautifully. It grows as a compact, bushy shrub indoors, and in the right conditions will produce fragrant white flowers followed by small red berries. Even without the flowers, it's a genuinely handsome plant one that earns its place on a bright windowsill year-round.

This is a plant for people who like a little conversation with their greenery.

Why You'll Love It

The Coffee plant is one of those rare houseplants that's as interesting to talk about as it is to look at. It's a genuine coffee tree the same species that produces the world's most widely consumed beverage living on your windowsill. Guests notice it. They ask about it. And the glossy foliage is genuinely beautiful, with a lushness that most tropical houseplants don't match.

Care at a Glance

• Light: Bright indirect light preferred. Avoid harsh direct afternoon sun which can scorch leaves
• Water: Keep soil evenly moist but not waterlogged. Allow the top inch to dry between waterings
• Humidity: Appreciates higher humidity. Misting or a pebble tray is beneficial
• Temperature: Prefers 65 to 80 degrees F. Sensitive to cold drafts and temperatures below 55 degrees
• Growth: Moderate. Can reach 2 to 3 feet indoors over several years
• Skill level: Beginner-friendly. Consistent conditions are more important than perfection
• Pet safety: Toxic if ingested. Keep away from pets and small children

Good to Know

The Coffee plant will drop leaves if moved suddenly to a drastically different light environment give it time to adjust when repositioning. If your plant is happy and mature enough, it may produce small white flowers with a jasmine-like fragrance, followed by green berries that ripen to red over several months. Those berries each contain two coffee beans the actual thing, just very few of them.

For more care tips, visit our Plant Care Library.