Coffea arabica (Coffee Plant) – Tropical Evergreen Houseplant (12cm Pot)

The Coffea arabica, better known as the coffee plant, is a striking tropical houseplant with glossy, dark green foliage that brings a lush, exotic feel to any room.

It is grown indoors chiefly for its handsome leaves rather than for flowers or fruit, though a well established, mature plant can go on to produce small white flowers followed by red coffee cherries. Most indoor plants are sold young and rarely flower or fruit for several years.

It arrives in a 1 litre (12cm) nursery pot, ready to display on a desk, windowsill or sideboard, and suits a living room, bedroom, kitchen, office or hallway. Give it bright, indirect light, water when the top of the compost has dried out a little, and feed during spring and summer.

It is a low maintenance, beginner-friendly houseplant, needing only occasional feeding, a repot every year or two and protection from cold draughts.

Coffea arabica is toxic to cats and dogs. The caffeine is concentrated in the beans but is also present in the leaves, so keep the plant out of reach of pets.

Cultural Information

• Common Name: Coffee Plant, Arabian Coffee
• Fully Grown Height and Spread: Up to 200cm tall indoors (typically kept smaller with pruning), spread up to 100cm
• Growth Habit: Upright, bushy evergreen shrub
• Perfect For: Desks, windowsills, living rooms, bedrooms, offices and hallways
• Foliage: Glossy, dark green, oval leaves
• Flowering Time: Spring to summer, on mature plants only
• Flower Colour: White
• Planting Position: Bright, indirect light; avoid harsh direct midday sun
• Hardiness: Indoor plant only (H1a); will not tolerate temperatures below about 15C or cold draughts
• Maintenance: Low; water when the compost surface starts to dry, feed in the growing season, repot every one to two years
• Type: Tender tropical evergreen houseplant