Many people use coffee grounds in their gardens. Some use them directly, while others use them in compost. Either way, you should always know which type of environment Best suits the plants that you want to grow in your garden. Which plants like coffee grounds?
Plants such as blueberries, roses, azaleas, cabbage, gardenias, and rhododendrons can thrive in the acidic conditions that coffee grounds provide.
Which Plants Like Coffee Grounds

There is no need to just throw away used coffee grounds, there are so many uses for them! Many people just throw them down the sink, which is a big no-no!
I did a related article on, do tomato plants like coffee grounds? check that out here.
There are many plants that can grow and live when used coffee grounds are added to their environment, such as:
Blueberries
Blueberries are the perfect plant to grow with used coffee grounds. Blueberries require nitrogen in a constant supply. Coffee grounds produce a lot of nitrogen and allow the blueberries to thrive.
Roses
Roses are also a plant to thrive off of the production of nitrogen, they also need potash and phosphate. All three of these nutrients are produced when coffee grounds are added to the soil of the roses. The coffee grounds help encourage new roses to grow in abundance.
Azaleas
Azaleas are beautiful shrubs that can come in the colors pink, red, or white. They require acidic soil which is perfect for soil that has coffee grounds added to it.
Cabbage
Cabbage is a delicious plant that is prone to pests and damage from pests. Adding coffee grounds to cabbage can help deter pests and keep the cabbage healthy.
IF you have a pest problem, coffee grounds will keep squirrels away as well as many other pests to your garden.
Gardenias
Gardenias grow well in environments that are rich in nitrogen, magnesium, and potassium. Coffee grounds added to the gardenias soil add the perfect level of nutrients for the gardenias to grow and prosper.
Rhododendrons
Rhododendrons can grow bigger when they have acidic soil. Since coffee grounds are acidic they provide the right environment for the rhododendrons to grow.
Which Plants Do Not Like Coffee Grounds
There are many plants that can not grow and live when used coffee grounds are added to their environment, such as:
Cactus
The Cactus is a plant that can not grow in acidic soil. When you add coffee grounds to soil it increases its ph level and causes it to be acidic, the acidity kills the cactus plant. If you want your cactus to grow strong you will want to use the coffee grounds as compost to reduce the acidity.
Rosemary
Rosemary is another plant that does not like acidic soil. It too will die if it is planted in soil that has used coffee grounds added. Plant your rosemary in soil with a neutral ph for best results.
Pothos
Pothos are typically an easy plant to grow. They don’t require much maintenance and can grow to be quite large. They benefit from the nitrogen that coffee grounds produce, but what kills them is the acidic environment.
Orchids
Orchids die when they are exposed to too much nitrogen in the soil. Coffee grounds produce nitrogen as well as other nutrients that the orchid can not handle.
Lavender
Lavender is a plant that can’t reach its full potential in acidic soil. For lavender to grow it must be in neutral balanced soil with full sun and not too much water.
What Indoor Plants Like Coffee Grounds
Many plants like coffee grounds, both indoor and outdoor varieties can thrive when coffee grounds are added to their soil. Here are some indoor plants that thrive when coffee grounds are added to their soil.
African Violet
The African Violet is a beautiful indoor plant. It grows well in nitrogen-rich soil as well as soil that is acidic. This makes it perfect for growing with the addition of used coffee grounds.
Cyclamen
Cyclamen plants are indoor plants that actually thrive when watered with a coffee ground and water mixture. You can pour the mixture over the plant and deep into the soil.
Jade Plant
Jade plants don’t require much water for maximum growth, but they do enjoy having soil that is rich in nitrogen. Adding used coffee grounds to the soil of a jade plant can help encourage the growth of the stem. A strong stem on a jade plant is the backbone of this plant.
Snake Plant
Snake plants are cool indoor plants that are low maintenance and easy to grow. If you want your snake plant to grow healthy and strong water it with water and ground coffee mixture once a week!
What Do Gardeners Use Coffee Grounds For
Gardeners use coffee for a variety of reasons. Some gardeners use coffee grounds to create compost that will be used in their garden. The compost has a neutral pH balance and helps aid in the growth of many plants. Compost is a great fertilizer.
Gardeners also use coffee grounds directly to help grow plants that thrive well in acidic environments. The acidic properties of coffee grounds assist in providing the perfect home for many plants. Not only do coffee grounds help with making the soil acidic, but they also provide vital nutrients for many species of plants to survive, such as nitrogen and potassium.
Within this article on, don’t throw coffee grounds down the toilet, I give 5 uses for coffee grounds, be sure to check that one out.
Conclusion
So, which plants like coffee grounds? We have given a few in this post, but there are more too!
If you want to know which plants do and don’t like coffee grounds this article can help assist you. It shows you which plants thrive in the acidic environment that coffee grounds provide as well as which plants would die from such a high ph level.