species 12,554 observations
Shiny-leaved Wild Coffee
Psychotria nervosa
Field notes
Psychotria nervosa, also known as Seminole balsamo or wild coffee, is a shade tolerant medium-sized shrub native to Florida as well as the West Indies and Central and South America. It produces a "small, red, ellipsoid fruit" that resembles "the true coffee bean" in shape and attract birds. Its maximum height ranges from approximately 4–10 feet.
Despite its common name of wild coffee, this species is not known to contain any caffeine. In recounting anecdotes from others, the Florida ethnobotanist, Dan Austin, reported that the use of the seeds as a coffee substitute resulted in "only bad taste and terrible headaches." A similar account reported no known usage as a coffee substitute in Jamaica and noted the morphological similarity of its seed to coffee, the more likely reason for its common name being wild coffee. Reports of DMT in this species are also unsubstantiated.
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Range
Greener is more native, amber more introduced; paler is less certain. How this was decided
Key traits
- Layer
- Trees
- Light
- Part shade
From USDA PLANTS and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.



