One of the most prejudiced plants commercially produced and harvested is the coca plant.

Most commonly associated with being the species which cocaine is derived from, it has the stereotype of being a dangerous plant. However, the coca plant has many valid and safe uses, which have been used by herbalists since the species' discovery.

South America, Africa, Ceylon, Taiwan, Indonesia and Formosa are the regions that the coca plant is most suited for growing. However, it is most commonly known for its presence in the Andes of South America, where the majority of cocaine is created.

The first known written source of the species was in 1783, but it was not classified until 1786, where it was given the name Erythroxylum coca. However, it is believed that the coca plant has been tended as a domestic species for over 2,000 years. There is proof within burial sites of coca to support this theory.

Nurturing the coca plant needs diligence and effort. The life of the coca plant starts as a fruit, which is gathered when the drupes are almost ripe. These drupes are placed within a container and left to sit where the skin of the fruit becomes tender. Once this has occurred, the seeds are taken and the seeds are set outdoors to dry out.

Only once this occurs, the seeds can be sown. Germination takes approximately 24 days. Once the plant has grown 4 leaves, they are protected by a lattice covering for a year.

After the year has completed, the plants are transferred to preparation fields. This transportation can only occur within the rainy season. Three years after this transfer, some leaves may be processed. Once the coca plant is able to be processed, they are processed three or four times a year. A fully established acre of coca plants can yield 1,500 to 2,000 pounds of product per year.

While coca plants are annual, a field will be resown once every twenty years, as the quality of the plant diminishes over time.

As coca plants are so valuable, there are many safeguards taken to guard the crops from natural predators and disease. There are some varieties of pests that prey on the coca plants, as well as fungus that can cripple or destroy the stalks, branches and leaves. Weeds can also be fatal to adolescent coca plants, as the weeds {remove|robtake from the soil of the nutrients that the plants need for basic survival.

Coca-Cola is the most known producer and user of the coca plant.

Contemporary medicinal uses of coca include use as a bactericide, as spinal anesthetics and as treatments for diseases such as eczema and shingles.

Evan