Coffee Berry 

Scientific Name:

Frangula californica

Physical Appearance: 

  • Seeds resemble coffee beans 

  • Dense shrub 

  • 6-15 ft tall 

  • Deep red branches thick

  • Leaves dark green w/red tints that curl at edges 

  • Small green/white five-petal flowers produced in clusters

  • Berries range from a red-purple to black (in case you were considering it, they aren’t edible) 

When Does It Grow: 

  • Flowers in the spring and summer

Preferred Environment: 

  • Coffee berry is super versatile

  • It can be found on the coast, sides of canyons, or even sandy desert, but its most common location is in woodlands 

Medicinal Uses: 

  • Coffee berry is sold under the name Cascara Sagrada for chronic constipation relief 

    • It is prepared by aged for a year in heat and undergoes tincture preparation 

Role in the Ecosystem: 

  • Several different types of birds feast on the fruit and seeds of coffee berry

  • Butterflies, bees, and caterpillars also rely on the plant for food and habitat 

Random: 

  • No smell (sorta disappointing with a name like that)

  • Coffee berry went through a name change from Rhamnuscalifornica to its current name even though it is a part of the Rhamnaceae family