The Coffee Tree and Bean

The coffee tree or shrub is a member of the madder family. It will grow to be 10 to 15 feet (3 to 4.5 m) high, but is often kept pruned to a height of 6 or 7 feet (about 2 m) so that the berries, or cherries, may be gathered easily. The leaves are dark green and the flowers are white. When ripe, the coffee berry is blackish red with yellow pulp. It contains two seeds, or beans, that are flat on one side and rounded on the other. The flat surfaces face each other.

Coffee trees grow best in tropical regions, at altitudes of 2,000 to 6,000 feet (600 to 1,800 m) above sea level. Seeds are planted in nurseries or directly in the groves where the trees will grow.

Coffee trees are susceptible to a fungus disease called coffee rust. Coffee rust attacks the leaves and weakens the plants to such an extent that they cannot produce berries. The disease can generally be controlled by planting resistant varieties and spraying with fungicides, but outbreaks have occasionally severely curtailed the coffee harvest.

Coffee trees begin to bear fruit when they are three to five years old. They live 20 to 30 years. Some countries have two coffee crops each year. Each tree yields approximately five pounds (2.3 kg) of berries. These berries produce about one pound (450 g) of green coffee, or slightly less than a pound of roasted coffee.

There are several varieties of coffee trees, with beans of varying sizes and colors. The most widely grown is Arabica. The many commercial classifications of coffee are named for the areas in which they are grown or the ports from which they are shipped. Included are Medellin, Armenia, and Manizales, from Colombia; Coatopecs, from Mexico; and Salvadors, from El Salvador. Mocha is a variety grown in southern Arabia. Java is grown on the island of Java. Rio and Santos are Brazilian varieties. Retail brands are usually blends, roasted to produce the aromas and flavors popular with consumers.