Progenies of the semi-dwarf cultivars San Ramon, Caturra and São Bernardo of Coffea arabica were analysed in relation to plant development, yield and seed characteristics in Monte Alegre do Sul, SP. As tester was used a selected burbom vermelho progeny. The performance of these selections when planted at one or four plants per hill was also studied. The accumulated yield after 15 consecutive years revealed that the differences in yield between planting one or four plants per hill were significative only for a few progenies. There was, however, a tendency to higher yield when four plants per hill was used independently of the genotype. All semi-dwarf progenies showed a lower yeld than burbom vermelho. Selected individual plants may improve the yield in the semi-dwarf coffee, due to the high yield variability noticed in their progenies.