Catimor is a family of many distinct rust-resistant varieties bred from Timor Hybrid x Caturra crosses, not a single cultivar.
Catimor is the name for a large group of introgressed Arabica varieties descended from crosses between Timor Hybrid and the dwarf variety Caturra. World Coffee Research stresses that, contrary to common belief, Catimors are not a single variety but many distinct varieties with similar parentage, released by different national institutes, for example Cenicafé (Catimor 129), ICAFE (Costa Rica 95), IHCAFE (Lempira, IHCAFE 90) and ANACAFÉ (Anacafé 14). Portugal's CIFC produced the original lines: it received Timor Hybrid seed in 1958 and began crossing selections with Caturra in 1967, although Wikipedia's variety list dates Catimor to 1959. WCR notes such varieties have traditionally been linked to lower cup quality but have been essential for farmers facing rust and coffee berry disease.
History
Portugal's CIFC received Timor Hybrid seed in 1958 and began crossing selections with Caturra in 1967 (other sources cite 1959 for the origin of Catimor). Coffee leaf rust reached Brazil in 1970, and the lines were distributed to research programmes in many countries, where they were re-selected into national varieties.
Field notes
- i
Portugal's CIFC received Timor Hybrid seed in 1958 and selected plants CIFC 832/1 and 832/2, which became the basis of the Catimor lines.
- ii
Some Catimors carry a reputation for heavier body and earthy or herbal flavours, yet one roaster's page says careful harvest and processing can score much higher.
Family tree
Catimor is a cross of Timor Hybrid and Caturra.
Offspring
Sources · 3 Every sentence here was checked against a source we read. Taste notes are what guides describe, not promises about your bag. Last revised 2026-11-11.
- Arabica Varieties — A global catalog of Arabica coffee varieties from around the world (PDF, rev. Sept 4, 2025) · World Coffee Research
- Catimor Coffee: The story of a rust-resistant coffee variety · Ozone Coffee
- List of coffee varieties · Wikipedia