Shade tree, noun: Since coffee plants are sensitive to the sun, they are grown under the shade of other trees in organic and biodynamic coffee cultivation. Shade trees are usually crops (e.g., bananas) or trees that support the formation of humus/soil health (e.g., eucalyptus, casuarina). Generally, shade trees are only found in small plantations and coffee gardens. Large, industrial plantations hang nets to provide shade and use synthetic fertilizers.
