Coffee growing 
The coffee tree is a small evergreen of the genus coffea, has smooth, ovate leaves and clusters of fragrant white flowers that mature into deep red fruits abut ½ inches (1.27 cm) long. The fruit which is green when young, then yellow and then bright red when ready for harvesting, usually contains two seeds – these are the coffee beans.

The coffee plant prefers the cool, moist, frost-free climate found at higher altitudes in the tropics and subtropics. Optimum growing conditions include: a temperature of about 75ºF (24ºC); well-distributed annual rainfall of about 50 in (127 cm) with a short dry season; and fertile, deep, well-drained soil, especially of volcanic origin. While coffee can be grown from sea level to c.6,000 ft (1,830 m) – indeed, coffea robusta is produced at low elevations in West Africa - the better coffea arabica grades are generally produced above 1,500 ft (460 m). Strong winds limit coffee production and therefore coffee is often grown in the shelter of taller trees.

The coffee tree will start to bear fruit three to four years after planting. A coffee tree yields its maximum sometime between its fifth and tenth year and may bear fruit for about 30 years.