PROFILE | WHAT IS COFFEE? | HISTORY OF COFFEE | TYPES OF COFFEE | BENEFITS OF DRINKING COFFEE |
Everyone
recognizes a roasted coffee bean, but you might not recognize an actual coffee
plant
Coffee trees are pruned short to conserve their energy and aid
in harvesting, but can grow to more than 30 feet (9 meters) high. Each tree is
covered with green, waxy leaves growing opposite each other in pairs. Coffee
cherries grow along the branches. Because it grows in a continuous cycle, it’s
not unusual to see flowers, green fruit and ripe fruit simultaneously on a
single tree.
It takes nearly a year for a cherry to mature after first
flowering, and about 5 years of growth to reach full fruit production. While
coffee plants can live up to 100 years, they are generally the most productive
between the ages of 7 and 20. Proper care can maintain and even increase their
output over the years, depending on the variety. The average coffee tree
produces 10 pounds of coffee cherry per year, or 2 pounds of green beans.
All
commercially grown coffee is from a region of the world called the Coffee Belt. The
trees grow best in rich soil, with mild temperatures, frequent rain and shaded
sun.