# Shiny-leaved Wild Coffee (*Psychotria nervosa*) Shiny-leaved Wild Coffee is a lovely plant with bright green leaves that shine in the sunlight. It grows in tropical areas and can have small white flowers that turn into red berries. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 3 - **Habitat:** Tropical forests ![Shiny-leaved Wild Coffee](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Psychotria_nervosa_1.jpg&width=800) Photo: Jason Hollinger, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Psychotria_nervosa_1.jpg) ## Appearance The Shiny-leaved Wild Coffee is a handsome shrub known for its incredibly glossy, dark green leaves that appear almost varnished. It features clusters of small, star-shaped white flowers, followed by bright red, attractive berries. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Gentianales - **Family:** Rubiaceae - **Genus:** Psychotria ## Interesting facts - Despite its name, its flowers have a mild, sweet fragrance, not like roasted coffee beans! - Its scientific name means 'soul's tree' and 'many-veined' in ancient Greek. - The plant's vibrant red berries are a crucial winter food source for many bird species! - This plant is a cousin to the coffee plant, but its berries are not for brewing! ## Special abilities - **Sun Shield Leaves:** Shiny-leaved Wild Coffee has exceptionally glossy leaves that reflect excess sunlight, helping protect the plant from harsh rays in its shaded understory habitat. - **Bird Bait Berries:** Its bright red berries are a tempting treat for birds, which eat them and then help spread the plant's seeds far and wide to new locations. - **Ant Home Sweet Home:** Tiny pockets on the underside of its leaves, called domatia, offer a cozy shelter for some ant species, providing them with a safe home. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 100-300 cm - **Spread:** 60-150 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring_to_fall - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [American Robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — Berries provide a vital winter food source. - **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Its small white flowers attract many types of bees. - **Symbiotic with:** [Florida Carpenter Ant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/florida-carpenter-ant) (*Camponotus floridanus*) — Ants use leaf domatia for shelter and protection. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Rainforest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rainforest): This habitat trait refers to species found in tropical rainforests, characterized by high annual rainfall, high biodiversity, and dense tree cover. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Don't eat the berries, as they are not safe for kids. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Shiny-leaved Wild Coffee? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Shiny-leaved Wild Coffee? 100-300 cm ### How wide does Shiny-leaved Wild Coffee spread? 60-150 cm ### How big are the flowers on Shiny-leaved Wild Coffee? 0.5-1 cm ### When does Shiny-leaved Wild Coffee bloom? Spring_to_fall ### Is Shiny-leaved Wild Coffee edible? No ### Is Shiny-leaved Wild Coffee toxic? Mild ### What is Shiny-leaved Wild Coffee's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Butterfly World](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/butterfly-world) — Florida, US · Zoo - [Edison and Ford Winter Estates](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/edison-and-ford-winter-estates) — US · Botanical Garden - [Florida Botanical Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/florida-botanical-gardens) — Florida, US · Botanical Garden - [Marie Selby Botanical Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/marie-selby-botanical-gardens) — Florida, US · Botanical Garden - [McKee Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mckee-botanical-garden) — Florida, US · Botanical Garden - [Monkey Jungle](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/monkey-jungle) — Florida, US · Zoo [View all places to see Shiny-leaved Wild Coffee](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/shiny-leaved-wild-coffee) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Shiny-leaved Wild Coffee: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiny-leaved-wild-coffee)