Coffee in the garden

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.