Fresh Coffee from Florida? Scientists are Brewing up the Possibility Posted by Paul Rusnak|March 11, 2021 Coffee plants growing in Florida? Yes. Researchers at the UF/IFAS Plant Science Research and Education Unit in Citra planted these adjacent to citrus. Climate change could make this caffeinated crop one to consider for growers in the Sunshine State. Photo by Juan Giuliani Despite coffee being one of the most traded, consumed, and enjoyed commodities worldwide, there aren’t many places on the planet that provide optimal growing conditions. Most of the locations are equatorial in nature. A changing climate though could expand the growing zone for coffee northward.