The first question this plant brings to mind is whether you'd want to make your morning brew from the berries of wild coffee? Quick answer: no.

Shiny-leaved wild coffee, Psychotria nervosa, is in the same plant family as the stuff you find at Starbucks, but so are at least 5,999 other plants. There are something like 103 species of coffee worldwide, but only three are used to make a cup of Joe. This is not one of the three.

You can indeed make a beverage from wild coffee berries but it A) won't taste good, B) won't resemble coffee and C) will lack any caffeine kick. Might even give you a headache. But aside from its unpleasant taste, wild coffee has more than its share of positives. But first, a few wild coffee basics.

Shiny-leaved wild coffee is one of three wild coffee species native to Florida and probably the most common. It's found throughout the Peninsula from Duval County south to the Keys. It is found only in Florida among the 50 states. Its native range extends throughout the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and the northern shoulders of South America.

Wild coffee is a shrub that grows generally four to six feet tall, but we have seen references that it can hit 10 or even 15 feet under the right growing conditions. One commercially available variety stands no more than three feet tall, and is sold under the name, Little Psycho. It is a common and easily identifable understory plant particularly in coastal areas, taking light to full shade.