Tree Highlight: KY Coffeetree
Kentucky coffeetree
Gymnocladus dioicus (Family Fabaceae)
The large compound leaf of the Kentucky coffetree
The basics
The Kentucky coffetree (Gymnocladus diocus) is found in rich, moist soils throughout Appalachia and the midwest U.S. It grows up to 70 feet, with characteristic large compound leaves measuring up to three feet, and reddish-brown, hard, seed pods up to 10 inches long. The Kentucky coffeetree is dioecious, meaning that there are male and female trees.
Did you know?
- In Native American cultures seeds were roasted to be eaten and to make a coffee-like beverage, but raw, unroasted pods and seeds are toxic!
- The Kentucky coffeetree was the Kentucky state tree until 1994 when it was designated the Kentucky Heritage tree, and the tulip tree (yellow poplar) become the official state tree.
- The largest coffeetree in Kentucky, located in Griffith Woods in Harrison County, is 120 feet tall, with a trunk diameter of 42 inches and a canopy width of 46.5 feet.
Seeds of the Kentucky coffetree (poisonous if unroasted!) are contained in large seedpods
A bumblebee, one of the pollinators of the Kentucky coffeetree
Wildlife
- Because of its toxicity, not many animals can feed on Kentucky coffeetree but birds do use coffeetree branches for nesting.
- Scale insects may infest the tree, feeding on twigs and causing yellowing and stunted growth.
- Its flowers are pollinated by many insects, including bumblebees.
Uses
- The wood from Kentucky coffeetree is used by cabinetmakers and carpenters.
- It is a beautiful ornamental tree, often planted in gardens and parks.
- Roasted seeds can be used to make a coffee-like beverage. Unroasted seeds are toxic!
The Kentucky coffetree is a beautiful tree for gardens and parks
Benefits
- Over a 20-year period, a healthy Kentucky coffeetree with a diameter of 15 inches will offset 5,746 car miles worth of CO2, absorb enough stormwater to fill 1,287 bathtubs, and remove an amount of pollution from the air – in gaseous and particulate form – equivalent in weight to 81 smartphones! Learn more at: https://mytree.itreetools.org/
KY coffeetree Tree of the Week video
By University of Kentucky Forestry and Natural Resources Extension.
Click to watchContact us: ufi@uky.edu
Images sourced from forestyimages.org
