Coffee

Overview

Coffee is an evergreen shrub with glossy leaves, fragrant white flowers, and red “cherries” that hold the coffee beans. It grows well in the partial shade of taller trees.

History

Native to Ethiopia. Kauaʻi is home to large coffee farms.

Growing on Kauaʻi

• Grows well in partial shade with steady moisture.
• Keep it in a managed planting. Coffee spreads into forests when birds and other animals carry the cherries.

Planting and propagation

• Use seedlings or seed from Kauaʻi sources only.
• Plant in rich, well-drained soil under light shade.

Care and maintenance

• Pick every ripe cherry and collect fallen ones, so seeds don’t spread and pests don’t build up.
• Prune to keep plants low and productive.

Role in the guild

Coffee grows in the shade of ice cream bean, gliricidia, or banana, but only in a contained, actively managed planting.

Harvest

Pick cherries when they are fully red. Remove the pulp, ferment and wash the beans, then dry them before roasting.

Uses

• Drink: roasted beans.
• Soil: pulp and prunings as mulch or compost.

Important caution

Coffee is rated High Risk in Hawaiʻi. Keep it in a controlled, actively managed planting, pick up all fallen cherries, and don’t let it spread into wild areas. Don’t bring coffee plants, seeds, or unroasted beans from other islands; state quarantine rules apply.

Problems to watch

• Coffee berry borer and coffee leaf rust are present in Hawaiʻi. Pick all cherries and remove infested ones.
• Spreading into wild areas if cherries are left on the plant or ground.

General guidance for Kauaʻi; conditions vary by site. Check any new plant at plantpono.org before planting.