Coffea arabica - Young Coffee Tree

Looks like Gardenia leaves. Haven't seen any Coffee trees around here.

Alexandramou:

Gardenia is in the Coffee family (Rubiaceae). I have an 8ft/2.4m tall tree in my front yard. It's loaded with coffee cherries right now. I've posted many photos of coffee trees in the past on GoY.

Coffee trees are pretty tropical (however, not the hot tropics)...they will only grow where temps stay above freezing (preferably 50ºF/10ºC or above at night)... and even protracted too cool of temps can kill it.

Coffee can only be commercially grown were average annual temps stay at: 78ºF/26º during the day and 65ºf/18ºC at night.

Yes, I do remember all of them!!! I remember you said that it smelled wonderful.

Alexandramou:

Yes, when it blooms...the flowers smell similar to gardenia flowers.

Oh well, I guess I can't grow coffee here. But I would love to just smell it.....

Alexandramou:

You maybe able to grow one in a protected spot in your garden. They usually like protection from very hot sun, although mine seems to tolerate it pretty well now that it's mature. :>)

Yes, I'm sure it will do well here but I won't have any coffee beens ;o(
Will pick one up if I come across it.

Alexandramou:

I'll send you all my coffee cherries. lol! My Coffee tree is very productive.

I have many seedling popping up around the mother tree now. This happens every year. I suspect there will be twice the normal amount of seedlings because of the copious amount of rain we've had so far this season.

Small Coffee plants are commonly available for sale, for cheap...there's usually a dozen or so in a very small pot for $2.00. My dad purchased one of these about 11 years ago and divided them all...that's where my tree came from.

I wonder how much they will go for here??? That is really cheap.
When did you first have coffee cherries on your tree?

Alexandramou:

It was only about 2 years old when it first bloomed...and then it set a few coffee cherries. It didn't start bearing fruit somewhat heavily until 4 years. For the last 6 years it has been bearing many hundreds of fruit a year. I think this year it may have more than a thousand fruits...the most ever. I'll take some new photos tomorrow.