Bourbon coffee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coffee Variety Information |
|
|---|---|
| Stature | Tall |
| Leaf Tip Color | Green |
| Bean Size | Average |
| Quality Potential | Very Good |
| Yield Potential | Medium |
| Coffee Leaf Rust | Susceptible |
| Coffee Berry Disease (CBD) | Susceptible |
| Nematodes | Susceptible |
| WCR Variety Catalog: Bourbon | |
Bourbon is a special type, or cultivar, of Coffea arabica coffee. It is one of the two main types from which many new coffee varieties are created. The other main type is called Typica. Both of these important coffee plants first came from a country called Yemen.
Bourbon coffee was first grown on an island named Réunion. This island was known as Île Bourbon before the year 1789. French explorers later brought Bourbon coffee plants to mainland Africa and then to countries in Latin America.
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Growing Bourbon Coffee
Bourbon coffee plants grow best in high places. They like to be between 1,100 and 2,000 meters (about 3,600 to 6,500 feet) above sea level. These plants can produce 20–30% more coffee beans than the Typica variety. Even with more beans, the quality of the coffee is still very good.
Plant Health and Yield
Bourbon coffee trees can grow quite tall. They produce a good amount of high-quality coffee cherries. However, Bourbon plants need special care because they can easily get sick from common coffee plant diseases and pests. This means farmers must work hard to keep them healthy.
What Bourbon Plants Look Like
Young Bourbon coffee leaves are green. When they grow bigger, they are usually larger than the leaves of Typica plants. The side branches of a Bourbon tree grow outwards at an angle, about 60 degrees from the main stem.
Coffee Cherries and Stems
The coffee cherries on a Bourbon plant are usually rounder than those on a Typica plant. Some Bourbon plants, especially those from Yemen, tend to have just one main stem. Other Bourbon plants, like those from Ethiopia, often grow with many stems.
