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How Coffee Beans Are Grown: Stringent Conditions and Why Yunnan is the Only Suitable Region in China

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information. Follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style). FrontStreet Coffee - Coffee Growing Introduction: After removing the outer skin and pulp of coffee cherries, the seeds with endocarp are planted in nurseries. After 1-2 months, the seeds gradually sprout, developing main roots to support the seedlings, growing into small trees with 12-16 leaves, approximately 50cm tall after about 9 months.

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FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Coffee Cultivation

After removing the outer skin and pulp of coffee fruits, the seeds with endocarp are planted in the nursery. After 1-2 months, the seeds will gradually sprout, grow taproots and support seedlings. After about 9 months, they grow into small trees with 12-16 leaves, about 50cm tall, before being transplanted to the plantation. Coffee continues to grow for 3-5 years (at least 3 years) before it first blooms. Pure white coffee flowers generally consist of 5 petals and usually carry some jasmine fragrance. The flowering period of coffee trees is very short, withering in about 3 days and falling off in 1 week.

After flowering, fruits slowly grow. Coffee fruits gradually mature over 6-8 months. Initially, coffee fruits are green and hard, slowly changing color and softening, becoming mature red fruits (there are also special varieties like Yellow Bourbon, which turn yellow when mature). Therefore, coffee fruits are also called "red cherries" or "coffee cherries."

The first coffee seed to take root and sprout in Yunnan can be traced back to 1892, more than 120 years ago, when a French missionary brought coffee seeds from abroad into Yunnan.

Yunnan's geographical conditions and climate advantages can be considered unique for coffee cultivation. Low latitude, high altitude, and high forest coverage all create an excellent ecological environment for coffee growth. In addition to the above natural advantages, the vast land resources suitable for coffee cultivation and the policy of returning farmland to forests have laid the foundation for the development of the coffee industry. Combined with the low planting costs at the beginning of coffee industry development (no longer a significant advantage today), these factors have indirectly made Yunnan the main coffee producing region in China.

More than 99% of Arabica coffee beans in our country are produced in Yunnan. The western and southern regions of Yunnan Province have many mountains and slopes, with large terrain fluctuations, abundant sunshine and annual rainfall, and significant temperature differences between day and night. These are precisely the necessary conditions for the growth and development of high-quality Arabica coffee. After long-term development and optimization, Yunnan has formed four major coffee producing areas: Pu'er, Dehong, Baoshan, and Lincang.

With the Tropic of Cancer passing through, Pu'er is a golden zone for coffee cultivation. Pu'er has a quite long history of coffee cultivation. At the end of the 19th century, British and French missionaries crossed the border from Myanmar to counties such as Lancang and Menglian, built churches in villages like Nuofu, Nanling, and Jingxin to preach, and brought coffee seeds for cultivation.

From scattered planting in some areas to industrialized cultivation in the late 1980s and to the present day, more than 60% of "Yunnan small-grain coffee" is produced in Pu'er, with the largest planting area, highest yield, and best quality. It is also an important distribution center for international coffee business, becoming a veritable "coffee capital"!

Knowledge Point

High-quality coffee fruits generally have good shading effects. Tree shade can block the high-temperature midday sun, reduce the metabolic rate of coffee, and help the development of nutrients, fruit acids, and aromatic substances.

In Brief

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