Tree of the Week: October 22, 2024

Tree of the Week: October 22, 2024

Continuing with the Hawaiian theme, ArborNote’s Tree of the Week is the Kona Coffee Tree (Coffea arabica, C. Kona.). The coffee that this tree produces is the most expensive in the world! That is because it can only be “Kona Coffee” if the trees grow within a 35 miles long, a mile and a half wide area on the Big Island that have an elevation between 500 to 3,200 feet. Kona Coffee trees differ from other Hawaiian coffee trees because it is cultivated on mountain slopes of Mauna Loa volcano. The volcanic-rich soil on the Big Island and unique tropical climate are contributing factors in producing these excellent coffee beans. Each one of the fruits, which are typically referred to as “cherries” because of their red color, is hand picked by workers between October and November. In February and March, the tree blooms with little white flowers that are often referred to as “Kona snow” as the hills become covered with white. Once the flower is pollinated, cherries will appear within 15 weeks. It will take another 7 to 10 months for the cherries to fully ripen! Each Kona coffee tree produces about 15 pounds of cherries, which yield an average of two pounds of roasted coffee. It takes about three years for Kona seedlings to reach maturity and they are capable of producing berries for 40-60 years. If you are ever on the Big Island in Hawaii, go check out one of the Kona coffee farms, like Greenwell Farms!

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