What Types of Coffee Trees Grow in Colombia?

When you sip a cup of Colombian coffee, you’re tasting fruit picked with precision—by hand, not machine. But have you ever wondered what kind of tree produces those distinctive red or yellow coffee cherries? Or why Colombian coffee is almost always washed, never stripped like in other regions? This guide breaks down the coffee plant varieties grown in Colombia, how they’re cultivated, and what sets the country’s beans apart.

Colombia primarily grows two coffee tree varieties: Caturra and Typica. Most of the country’s coffee is harvested from trees that can produce both white, jasmine-like (but unscented) flowers and ripe coffee cherries—red or yellow—at the same time. These cherries each hold a pair of coffee beans, processed through a washed method that includes fermentation and careful drying.

What Does a Coffee Tree in Colombia Actually Look Like?

A coffee tree in Colombia is capable of having both flowers and fruits on its branches simultaneously. The flowers are small, white, and jasmine-like, though they lack fragrance. The coffee cherries are roughly cherry-sized, smooth-skinned, and come in both red and yellow hues. Each cherry typically contains a pair of coffee beans nestled inside.

How Is Coffee Processed in Colombia?

In Colombia, coffee is processed using the washed (or wet) method. This involves removing the fruit’s outer skin and pulp, then fermenting the beans to break down any remaining mucilage. The leftover fermented pulp can be repurposed as high-quality fertilizer. After fermentation, the beans are soaked to remove sticky mucilage, dried, and then have their outer parchment layer removed before roasting. The roast level greatly influences flavor: longer, hotter roasts yield bolder, deeper cups, while shorter roasts result in a softer, more delicate taste.

How Is Coffee Harvested in Colombia?

Unlike countries like Brazil, where machines strip entire coffee trees—ripe or not—Colombian coffee is harvested entirely by hand. Workers pick only fully ripe cherries, and they do this twice per year, during the main harvests in May and October. This selective picking ensures only mature beans enter the processing stream, preserving cup quality. The manual method, combined with the washed process, allows for greater control over ripeness and cleanliness than mechanical or less-thorough processes.

Why Do Colombian Coffee Growing Methods Matter?

The combination of manual harvesting, selective timing (twice-yearly), and the washed processing method contributes directly to the clean, balanced profiles Colombian coffee is known for. Avoiding the brute-force approach of strip-harvesting and skipping steps like washing leads to inconsistencies elsewhere—issues that Colombian producers systematically avoid. The careful attention to ripeness, cleanliness, and processing helps develop the chocolatey, nutty, and sometimes sweet complexity associated with high-quality Colombian beans.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kinds of coffee trees are grown in Colombia?

The primary coffee tree varieties grown in Colombia are Caturra and Typica. These are the most common cultivars found across the country’s coffee farms, especially in regions like Huila.

Do coffee trees in Colombia produce flowers and fruit at the same time?

Yes, Colombian coffee trees can have both white, jasmine-like flowers and ripe coffee cherries (either red or yellow) on the branches at the same time. The flowers are unscented, unlike true jasmine.

How is Colombian coffee processed?

Colombian coffee is processed using the washed (wet) method. The coffee cherries are depulped to remove the skin and fruit, then fermented to remove mucilage. After fermentation, the beans are washed, dried, and have their parchment layer removed before roasting.

Is Colombian coffee harvested by hand or machine?

Colombian coffee is harvested entirely by hand. Workers pick only ripe cherries twice a year, during the main seasons in May and October. This contrasts with countries like Brazil, where machines harvest all cherries at once, regardless of ripeness.

What’s the difference between washed and natural coffee processing?

Washed processing removes the coffee cherry’s skin and pulp before fermenting and drying the beans, leading to a cleaner, brighter cup. Natural processing dries the coffee beans inside the whole cherry, often resulting in fruitier, sweeter, but sometimes more inconsistent flavors.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Exploring Colombian Origins

FrontStreet Coffee’s Colombian offerings highlight the country’s signature washed process and high-altitude growing. The FrontStreet Colombian Regular Bean uses the widely planted Caturra variety from the Huila region, grown above 1500 meters. It’s washed, then roasted to accentuate notes of chocolate, caramel, and hazelnut, with a balanced acidity and sweetness. For fruit-forward profiles, try the Sidra or Geisha varieties from experimental farms—though not covered here, Colombia is also pushing boundaries in specialty lots. All are excellent representations of the careful harvesting and processing methods detailed in this guide. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.