Flower profile
Shiny-leaved wild coffee
Psychotria nervosa
Shiny-leaved wild coffee is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Florida it's most often seen in bloom in March–June.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Florida
Quick look
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.
- It belongs to the Rubiaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 1 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Florida. NatureServe
- In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–June. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 10,881 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #5 among the 110 flowers on our Florida list. iNaturalist
Shiny-leaved wild coffee gift ideas
Handmade shiny-leaved wild coffee gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Shiny-leaved wild coffee art print
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Shiny-leaved wild coffee greeting card
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Shiny-leaved wild coffee mug
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Shiny-leaved wild coffee earrings
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Shiny-leaved wild coffee embroidery pattern
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Shiny-leaved wild coffee sticker
When does it bloom?
In Florida, most flowering sightings come in March–June.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Florida
- Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Florida. FAC 5B-40.0055
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records shiny-leaved wild coffee in 1 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Florida.
Florida counties with USDA records: Alachua, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, DeSoto, Duval, Flagler, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Lucie, Volusia.
More Florida flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile PSNE.
- iNaturalist, Psychotria nervosa: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Psychotria nervosa (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Florida: Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055).
- Florida: Florida Noxious Weed List (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-57.007).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Psychotria nervosa (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Jay Horn via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.