FNPS Plant Database

Psychotria nervosa

dwarf shiny-leaf wild-coffee "Little Psycho"

PHOTOS COMING SOON!

Nomenclature

Common Name:

dwarf shiny-leaf wild-coffee "Little Psycho"

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Psychotria nervosa

Family:

Rubiaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

shrub

Size:

1.0 to 2.5 ft tall 

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white

Fruit Color:

red,green,brown

Phenology:

Evergreen. Blooms and fruits year round except during cold or drought.

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Showy Fruits, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Small specimen plant, general cover plant in shaded areas.

Considerations:

Wild Coffee does not like constant full sun.

Availability:

Native Nurseries, FNPS Plant Sales, Seed

Propagation:

Light:

Part Sun, Shade

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

Coming Soon!

Usually moist, occasional inundation ---to--- Short very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Loam, Lime Rock

Soil pH:

6.1 to 7.5

Suitable to Grow In:

9A,9B,10A,10B,11

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.



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Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Butterflies, Birds

Nectar plant for atala ( Eumaeus atala ), great southern white ( Ascia monuste ), julia ( Dryas iulia ), Schaus' swallowtail ( Heraclides aristodemus ), and other butterflies. 





Attracts pollinators including a variety of bees and wasps, flies, and beetles.

Birds like the fruit.

Native Habitats:

Culitivated.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

This is not a coffee substitute (Pinkley 1969; Austin 2004). Its common name is may be a reference to some visual similarity to coffee

General Comments:

Sensitize to cold weather.

Citations:

Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell.  1999.  Native Florida Plants.  Gulf Publishing Company.  Houston, TX.



Huegel, Craig, N.  2010.  Native plant landscaping for Florida wildlife.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL. (wildlife uses).



Nelson, Gil.  2003.  Florida's Best Landscape Plants. Association of Florida Native Nurseries.



Osorio, Rufino. 2001. A gardener's guide to Florida's native Plants.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.



 

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