Coffee found it's way to America in 1607 on the ships of Captain John Smith and was planted in the early Jamestown colony. When Americans rebelled against the Tea Tax in 1773 the Continental Congress declared coffee the official American beverage. Today there are about 40 species, the two most popular being arabica and robusta. The arabica bean is the harder, with a full body and rich flavor. It is grown at high altitudes of 1,500 to 6,000 feet above sea level.
Plants grown at higher elevations take longer for the bean to develop so it is hardier and denser.
Coffea canephora var. This plant was developed for it's resistance to disease and produces more fruit and beans of the two varieties. It also contains more caffeine. The arabica plant resembles a large dark evergreen bush. It has glossy leaves with wavy edges which are arranged in pairs, on branches that are very slender.