Coffea

Coffee plant, Arabica coffee, Robusta coffee

Message of the Flower

Perfect Path

The Mother’s Comment

For each one it is the path that leads fastest to the Divine.

Spiritual Message by the Mother/ Quotes by Sri Aurobindo

What I call "being on the path" is being in a state of consciousness in which only union with the Divine has any value—this union is the only thing worth living, the sole object of aspiration. Everything else has lost all value and is not worth seeking, so there is no longer any question of renouncing it because it is no longer an object of desire.

As long as union with the Divine is not the thing for which one lives, one is not yet on the path.

The Mother, Some Answers from the Mother: 21 April 1965

It is true that the path is very long, but for one who follows it with sincerity, it is really very interesting, and at every step one is rewarded for one's trouble.

The Mother, Some Answers from the Mother: 16 March 1968

What do you want the Yoga for? To get power? To attain to peace and calm? To serve humanity?

None of these motives is sufficient to show that you are meant for the Path.

The question you are to answer is this: Do you want the Yoga for the sake of the Divine? Is the Divine the supreme fact of your life, so much so that it is simply impossible for you to do without it? Do you feel that your very raison d'être is the Divine and without it there is no meaning in your existence? If so, then only can it be said that you have a call for the Path.

The Mother, Questions and Answers 1929 - 1931: 7 April 1929

When you come to the Yoga, you must be ready to have all your mental buildings and all your vital scaffoldings shattered to pieces. You must be prepared to be suspended in the air with nothing to support you except your faith. You will have to forget your past self and its clingings altogether, to pluck it out of your consciousness and be born anew, free from every kind of bondage. Think not of what you were, but of what you aspire to be; be altogether in what you want to realise. Turn from your dead past and look straight towards the future.

The Mother, Questions and Answers 1929 - 1931: 9 June 1929

Colour

White

Family

Rubiaceae

Cultivars

Numerous, including 'Bourbon', 'Typica', 'Catuai', and more for Coffea arabica; less variety in Coffea canephora.

Person who named the flower

Carl Linnaeus

Flower Size

Small, generally about 1-2 cm in diameter

Flower Texture

Smooth and waxy

Number of Petals

Five

Floral Symmetry

Radially symmetrical.

Fragrance of Flower

Fragrant, with a sweet, jasmine-like scent

Leaf Texture

Glossy

Leaf Arrangement

Opposite

Leaf Color

Dark green

Structural Variation (Shrub or Tree)

Shrubs or small trees

Life Cycle

Perennial

Blooming Period

Varies with climate, often in spring

Climate

Tropical and subtropical climates

Water Requirements

Moderate to high, prefers consistent moisture

Soil Type

Prefers well-drained, fertile soils with a slightly acidic pH

Temperature Ranges

Ideal average temperatures between 15C and 24C (59F and 75F) for Arabica, slightly higher for Robusta

Sun or Shade

Prefers shade or partial shade in hotter climates, can tolerate full sun in cooler areas

Susceptibility to Insects and Diseases

Susceptible to pests like the coffee borer beetle and diseases such as coffee leaf rust

Pollinators

Mainly bees

Habitat

Native to tropical Africa; extensively cultivated in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa

Role in the Ecosystem

Provides habitat and food for a variety of insects and birds

Quotations

Frequently appears in quotes about morning routines and the coffee culture

Ornamental

Grown for its attractive foliage and fragrant flowers

Uses in Other Aspects of Life

Economic staple; integral to social and cultural rituals; used in cosmetics

Endangered Status

Some wild Coffea species are considered endangered due to habitat loss and climate change