We grow coffee plants here at Ligaya Garden. They rarely bear fruit in South Australia but we love them for their shiny, dark green foliage both as a visual element in the garden and as an herbal remedy.

They taste good too as a somewhat ironic tea, especially if you use the young leaves.
Coffee leaves contain mangiferin, a compound found in mangoes that is a potent anti-inflammatory. It can reduce the risk of diabetes and lower blood cholesterol, all important things as we age.

We’ve found the plants to be a bit slow in getting started but have persevered and now have one bushy beauty and a second in its way.

Here’s a little coffee trivia. Did you know that to grow, pack and ship the amount of coffee for a decent cup takes 140 – 150 litres of water! Then there’s another 6 litres for that spoonful of sugar!

You make a coffee tea (sounds weird, right?) the traditional way by adding a handful of leaves to a cup or a pot of hot water. Let it stand until the water is a pleasant green. Don’t add sugar, that’s kind of the point.