What animal eats coffee plants?
In the wild, the civet cat is naturally drawn to the best, ripe fruits on the coffee plant; that’s why, effectively, they would produce the best beans, in small batches. A coffee bean is actually the seed of a cherry-sized fruit that grows on the coffee plant. Civets eat the whole fruit. Palm civets eat coffee fruits and the beans are collected after being digested and defecated. This process allegedly the coffee smoother and less bitter. Called kopi luwak, this coffee is difficult to collect in the wild, as the civets only eat fully ripe coffee fruits.
When should you not use coffee grounds in the garden?
Coffee grounds contain caffeine, which can be harmful to some plants. Caffeine acts as a natural pesticide, which can inhibit growth, particularly for seedlings and young plants. This is especially true for plants that are sensitive to caffeine and tolerate acidic soil poorly. Coffee grounds should make up no more than 20% of the pile’s total volume — higher amounts can be toxic to plants. If applied directly to soil before composting, excess coffee grounds can temporarily tie up nitrogen and may inhibit seed germination or slow plant growth due to caffeine residues.Plants That Don’t Like Coffee Grounds Similarly, tomatoes may suffer if the grounds are added directly, especially in large quantities, as it can disrupt pH and introduce too much nitrogen. Other plants that struggle include clovers, alfalfa, and some flowering annuals like geraniums and petunias.