It is native to western and central Africa (from Liberia to Uganda and Angola), and has become naturalised in areas including Colombia, Venezuela, the Philippines, Borneo and Java.

The size of the cherries, the beans, and the leaves of barako are also among the largest of all coffee varieties.

[7] The flavor profile of Coffee liberica is also unique, with a bold and full-bodied taste that is often described as smoky, woody, and slightly nutty.

Today, Batangas and the neighboring province of Cavite are the main producers of the Philippine varietal of liberica.

[8][9] At the end of the 19th century, C. liberica was also brought to Indonesia to replace the arabica trees killed by the coffee rust disease.

A rare and one-of-a-kind cultivar of liberica can be found in a secluded area of the Amazon Rainforest of Guyana.