Wild coffee

Sun

Partial shade to full shade; tolerates more sun with adequate moisture, but exposed leaves may yellow or scorch.

Water

Water regularly while establishing. Once rooted, it tolerates short dry spells in shade, but grows best with moderate, consistent moisture.

Soil

Well-drained soil enriched with organic matter; tolerates sandy and limestone-based soils. Avoid persistently waterlogged ground.

Height

4-10 ft (1.2-3 m)

Spread

4-8 ft (1.2-2.4 m)

Flowers

Small white flowers in terminal clusters, mainly in spring and summer, with occasional flowering in warm weather.

Foliage

Evergreen. Opposite, glossy dark green leaves with prominent, deeply impressed veins and a puckered surface.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   2.7 ft (0.82 m)

3. After 2 years

   4 ft (1.1 m)

4. After 3 years

   5 ft (1.5 m)

5. After 5 years

   7 ft (2.1 m)

   full size

About 5 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

the US

Growth rate

Moderate

• Plant in sheltered partial shade, away from salt spray and drying winds.
• Water deeply during establishment, allowing the soil surface to begin drying between waterings.
• Apply 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of organic mulch, keeping it clear of the stems.
• Feed lightly in spring only if growth is weak; container plants benefit from a balanced slow-release fertilizer at the label rate.
• Move container plants into a bright, frost-free space before cold weather arrives.

Pruning. Prune lightly in spring, after frost risk has passed, to remove damaged wood and shorten stray shoots. Thin selected stems rather than repeatedly shearing, which removes flowers and developing berries.

Spring

Plant once frost risk has passed, or repot container plants as active growth resumes.

Spring

Remove cold-damaged stems and lightly shape established shrubs.

Summer

Water during prolonged dry spells and check exposed leaves for sun scorch.

Late summer

Take semi-ripe cuttings from healthy, nonflowering shoots.

Autumn

Leave ripening berries for birds and remove unwanted seedlings.

Winter

Protect outdoor plants during cold snaps; keep overwintering containers frost-free and water less frequently.

• Plant beneath open-canopied trees to create a glossy evergreen understory.
• Use as an informal hedge or screen in a sheltered, shaded boundary.
• Combine with coontie and native ferns for layered Florida woodland planting.
• Grow in a large patio container where its textured leaves can be seen closely.
• Include in a wildlife border where flowers feed insects and berries feed birds.

Garden styles it suits: Florida subtropical, Tropical, Woodland, Wildlife garden, Green on green and Modern courtyard.

Plant it with: Coontie, Marlberry, American beautyberry, Saw palmetto, Firebush and Giant leather fern.

Wildlife: The flowers attract bees, butterflies and other small pollinating insects. Birds eat the ripe red berries and may distribute seeds around the garden.

• Cold damage: frost can blacken leaves and kill shoots. Provide shelter, protect during cold snaps, and wait until spring growth begins before removing damaged wood.
• Sun scorch: pale or browned leaves can develop in hot, exposed positions. Provide afternoon shade and maintain even moisture.
• Scale insects and sooty mold: inspect stems and leaf undersides; treat infestations with horticultural oil according to the label and manage attendant ants.
• Root decline in wet soil: yellowing and dieback may follow prolonged waterlogging. Improve drainage and reduce watering rather than adding fertilizer.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses, but reliable species-specific safety information is limited. Do not treat the berries, seeds or leaves as food or use them as a coffee substitute.

• Dull wild coffee (Psychotria sulzneri)

  Its leaves are duller and softly hairy, especially beneath, rather than distinctly glossy like those of wild coffee.

• Bahama wild coffee (Psychotria ligustrifolia)

  It generally has smaller, narrower leaves with a flatter surface and less conspicuously impressed veins.

• Arabian coffee (Coffea arabica)

  True coffee bears its flowers and fruit in clusters along the stems at the leaf axils; wild coffee carries branching flower and fruit clusters at the shoot tips.

The species name nervosa refers to the prominent leaf veins, while wild coffee reflects its resemblance and relationship to true coffee in the madder family.

Propagation. Sow cleaned, fresh seed from fully red berries in a warm, moist, free-draining medium; germination can be slow and uneven. Semi-ripe cuttings can be rooted in warm conditions with high humidity.

Accepted botanical name

Psychotria nervosa

In the US and Canada

Native in the lower 48 states, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands.

Native range

Bahamas, Belize, Cayman Is., Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Florida, Guatemala and Haiti.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.