• The Coffea shrub is native to subtropical Africa and southern Asia. It belongs to a genus of 10 species of flowering plants of the family Rubiaceae

• It is an evergreen shrub or small tree that may grow 5 meters (16 ft) tall when unpruned
• The leaves are dark pliable and glossy, habitually 10–15 centimeters (3.9–5.9 in) long and 6.0 centimeters (2.4 in) wide
• The fruit berry is oval, about 1.5 centimeters (0.6 in) long, and developing when immature, but ripens to yellow, then crimson, tasteful dusky on drying
• Each berry regularly contains two seeds, but from 5 to 10 percent of the berries have only one; these are Melitta Coffee Pods called peaberries. Berries ripen in seven to nine months.

The production and consumption of "Fair Contract Coffee" defaulter grown in recent years as some local and national coffee chains have started to feeler fair trade alternatives.