The growth of a coffee tree is a fascinating journey that spans approximately four years, encompassing the stages from seed germination to becoming a fully mature tree and yielding its first blooms.

It all begins when the coffee seed is planted in the soil, marking the commencement of this remarkable process.

Upon sowing the coffee seeds, a period of one to three months elapses before the sprouting and initial growth occur.

During this phase, the seedling emerges from the soil, with the seed's head still nestled within, accompanied by the coffee bean seed shell. The leaf seedling continues to evolve and grow within this protective seed shell.

Around the four-month mark, the seed husk sheds, revealing two distinct leaves. Notably, the initial leaves differ significantly from the mature coffee tree leaves and are shed as the seedling progresses in growth.

Between seven to nine months, the sapling transforms into the recognizable form of a coffee tree, showcasing fully developed coffee leaves, while the initial two leaves are still intact.

The entire journey from seedling to a mature coffee tree takes approximately three to four years.

In this span, the mature coffee tree experiences its first flowering and fruiting, typically occurring between January and April each year.

The appearance of the coffee flowers varies among different coffee varieties, featuring white tubular blooms emitting a delicate jasmine scent. These flowers fade within a week, giving way to green coffee fruits.

After a four-month maturation period, the green fruits transform, with their skin turning from green to red. This marks the harvest season, and the red coffee cherries are collected.

These cherries, resembling cherries in size, color, and shape, contain the familiar coffee seeds.

A single coffee tree yields around 2-5 kilograms of berries annually, with smaller farms harvesting between 1,500 to 3,000 kilograms.

Harvesting is a meticulous task carried out either by hand or machinery to ensure only the ripest and highest-quality berries are selected.

Despite the impressive figures associated with the coffee berry harvest, the subsequent processing and roasting stages significantly reduce the coffee's overall quality.

From 50 kilograms of berries, only 5 kilograms of roasted coffee are obtained, underscoring the intricate process involved.

To put this into perspective, one would require about 7 kilograms of roasted coffee to sustain a daily intake of two cups for a year.

This amount corresponds to the harvest from 10 coffee trees, indicating that a modest coffee farm can supply enough berries to meet the annual coffee needs of 20-40 individuals.