The coffee plant was first used by the Arabs about 1450. In their native Ethiopia, coffee plants will grow to trees of 15 feet high. As an indoor pot plant, it will grow from one to six feet high with evergreen, dark green, 3 to 6 inch leaves with a wavy margin. A three to four year old plant may produce clustered white star like flowers indoors.

Plant care tips:

Light: Provide high interior light levels for growth. Don’t place in full sun as leaves will burn.

Water: Plant soil should be kept moist, but not saturated. Leaf tips will turn brown if soil dries excessively.

Temperature: Maintain room temperature of 66 to 82 Fahrenheit. Avoid placing in areas where temperatures fluctuate radically.

Fertilization: If the plant is actively growing, fertilize once every 2 months. Otherwise, apply once every 3 months.

Uses: Display coffee plants on desks or tables or use larger specimens as floor plants.

Apex: The terminal part of the leaf, stem, root, etc

Axillary: The bud arising in the angle between the main axis and a branch or leaf.

Bulb: A swollen stem, usually underground, with persistent fleshy leaf bases. (Example: cala-dium).

Chlorophyll: The green constituent of the cells of leaves which is essential for the synthesis of carbohydrates.

Division: The separation of bulbs, roots, etc., for propagation purposes.

Forcing: To induce growth and/or flowering prematurely.

Herbaceous: Usually refers to perennial plants which are not woody and die to the ground annually.

Hydroculture: System of plant culture that enables growth to be managed by liquid nutrients — hydroponics.

Leaf mold: The rich fibrous material that is composed of rotted leaves and other small pieces of plants.

Stem cutting: The method of propagation using a cut stem or shoot which is placed in well-moistened soil or sand to induce root formation.