Coffea, a member of the Rubiaceae family is responsible for the biological heritage of coffee. The Rubiaceae family includes more than 500 genera and 6,000 species of tropical trees and shrubs.
It is doubtful the average person would recognize an actual coffee tree. Most of us would recognize a roasted coffee bean. Just in case you stumble upon something you think might be a real coffee tree, here is a quick description of one:
Pruned short in cultivation
Capable of growing more than 30 feet high
Generally covered with dark-green, waxy leaves that grow opposite each other in pairs, although a coffee tree can also have leaves that are purple or yellow (dark green is the predominant color) The leaves may be 1 to 40 centimeters in size
Coffee cherries grow along the trees branches (see below for a description of coffee cherries)
Coffee cherries bloom into flowering, fragrant, white blossoms after about a year
Because coffee cherries grow in a continuous cycle you might see flowers, green fruit and ripe fruit at the same time on a single tree
A coffee tree can live as long as 20 to 30 years. They are capable of growing in a wide...