shrub
Wild coffee
Psychotria nervosa
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Hardy in zone 10, Wild coffee is an evergreen shrub. Expect 4–6 ft of height and 3–5 ft of spread; our lists space it 3.5 ft apart. It does best in part sun to shade with average water. Expect white flowers in April to July. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the structure role: a shrub that holds the bed's shape at the back all year. It is native to Florida and the Gulf. Deer may browse it when other food is short, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Pacific Northwest, California and the Desert Southwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Psychotria nervosa
- Plant type
- Shrub, evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 10 to 10
- Sun
- Part sun (4–6 hours); Part shade (2–4 hours); Shade (under 2 hours)
- Water
- Medium
- Soil
- Adapts to sandy or limestone soil with some organic matter.
- Mature size
- 4–6 ft tall × 3–5 ft wide
- Spacing
- 3.5 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Bloom
- Apr–Jul · white
- Roles in a bed
- Structure
- Styles
- natural, classic
- Deer resistance
- Medium: browsed when deer are hungry
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Not on the ASPCA toxic list; no known toxic compounds.
- Native to
- Florida/Gulf
- Pot size and price
- 3-gallon pot, typically $20–$35 (sometimes stocked)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, more in heat waves, so the root ball never dries out.
- Pruning
- Shape lightly in spring; can be clipped as an informal hedge.
Sources: UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions and EDIS fact sheets; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Southeastern extension deer-resistance lists (UGA, Clemson, UF/IFAS); state noxious weed lists / Invasive Plant Atlas of the US; typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box listings. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Good companions
Our list engine hasn't picked Wild coffee as a main plant in any sample bed yet: in every condition we tried, another plant won its slot. It can still appear in your own list when it fits your yard best.
If you can't find it
Plants that do the same job and pass the same rules for the conditions Wild coffee suits.
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants