Stenophylla is a rare West African species with a reported complex, sweet cup and better tolerance of hot, low-elevation growing conditions.
'Stenophylla' is the trade/common name for Coffea stenophylla, native to western tropical Africa (Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia and Sierra Leone) and first published by George Don in 1834. Seeds reached Kew in 1894, and plants fruited at Trinidad's Royal Botanic Gardens in 1898, where the coffee was judged excellent and equal to the finest arabica. Its low yield and small berries make it commercially inferior to arabica and robusta. Field research in 2018 found it was not being commercially cultivated, and wild samples were located in 2019 and 2020. Recent sensory evaluation describes a complex, naturally sweet cup with medium-high acidity, fruitiness and good mouthfeel, and the species is described as heat-tolerant, performing well at low elevations around 150 m, which interests breeders working on climate resilience. The IUCN lists it as Vulnerable due to deforestation and habitat fragmentation in the Upper Guinean forests.
Field notes
- i
In 1898 plants fruited at Trinidad's Royal Botanic Gardens, and the coffee was described as excellent and equal to the finest arabica.
- ii
Field research in 2018 found no commercial cultivation of stenophylla, and wild samples were only located in 2019 and 2020.
In the cup, according to guides
- AcidityMoreRecent sensory evaluation describes a complex, naturally sweet cup with medium-high acidity and fruitiness, comparable to Arabica.
Grown in
Sources · 1 Every sentence here was checked against a source we read. Taste notes are what guides describe, not promises about your bag. Last revised 2026-11-11.
- Coffea stenophylla · Wikipedia