Stem

Arabica coffee trees can grow up to 6 m high, Robusta coffee trees up to 10 m. However, pruning is required to maintain a height of 2-4 m, convenient for harvesting. Coffee trees have long slender branches, short-petiolate leaves, dark green, oval shape. The upper surface of the leaves is dark green, the lower surface is lighter green. The length of the leaves is about 8-15 cm, 4-6 cm wide. Coffee tree roots are taproots, deeply embedded in the ground from 1 to 2.5 m with many secondary roots spreading around to absorb nutrients to nourish the tree.

Flowers

Coffee flowers are white, have 5 petals, usually bloom in pairs or triple clusters. Flowers bloom for only 3-4 days and pollination time is only a few hours. A mature coffee tree has 30-40 thousand flowers.

Fruit

Coffee is a self-pollinating plant, so wind and insects have little influence on the plant’s reproduction. After pollination, the fruit develops in 7-9 months and is oval in shape. During the ripening period, the color of the fruit changes from green to yellow and finally red. The fruit is black when fully ripe. Due to the long flowering and fruiting period, a coffee crop lasts nearly a year and it is possible for a tree to have both flowers and fruit. Normally, a coffee fruit contains two seeds. They are covered by an outer layer of fruit flesh. The two coffee beans are pressed close together. The contact surface between them is flat, the side facing outward is arc-shaped. Each seed is also protected by two thin membranes: a white layer, tightly attached to the seed coat; a more discrete yellow layer, covering the outside. The seeds can be round or elongated, and when fresh, they are gray-yellow, gray-green or green. Occasionally, there are fruits with only one seed (either because there is only one kernel or because two seeds are stuck together into one)