The coffee plant is a perennial tropical evergreen belonging to the genus Coffea in the family Rubiaceae . Although there are at least 60 plants in the genus, only three are harvested commercially: arabica, robusta and to a much lesser extent libeca . Hybrids have also been developed.
The coffee bean comes from the cherry or berry of the coffee plant which is actually plant’s fruit. It is produced after the withering of a white flower. Each cherry consists of two seeds (beans) surrounded by pulp and skin. The cherries are green at first and turn red when they are ripe. They take six to 14 months to ripen, depending on the species of tree.
Coffee is cultivated in many places in tropical Latin America, Asia and Africa between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. It grows best in places with rich soil, reliable rainfall and altitudes between 3000 and 6000 feet. As a rule, the higher the elevation the coffee is grown the better the quality. Cold weather and frosts can seriously damage a coffee crop. Coffee grown above 3,937 feet is considered to be the best quality.
Arabicas grow best in shady areas at elevations above 3,000 feet in climates with an average temperature between 18̊ and 25̊C the entire year, and a low of 13̊C and with rain between 40 and 90 inches a year. They are often grown on slopes of mountains or hills and shaded and protected wind damage by banana palms, orange, mango, mahogany, or rosewood trees or other large trees.
Robusta beans grow better in the open sun. They are often mass produced in plantations where they are chemically fertilized and grow fast. Robusta trees reach their peak at age 7 and can keep producing until they are 18.
