Kentucky Coffeetree Gymnocladus dioicus
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- jim-noh-KLAY-dus dye-oh-EE-kus
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Kentucky Coffee Tree is a slow to moderate growing deciduous native tree in the bean family. It is resistant to air pollution and drought and makes an excellent addition to a rain garden or in a landscape to provide shade. Their interesting shape and seed pods are attractive and make for winter interest in a landscape.
Plant in the full sun in moist, well-drained soil though this tree tolerates a wide range of soil types. Select male plants to avoid seed pods. It is a good dependable city tree which is drought and air pollution tolerant
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems though some consider the leaf litter and seed pods a nuisance on hardscaped surfaces.
VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Gymnocladus
- Species:
- dioicus
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- The roasted, ground pods were used as a coffee substitute though it has no caffeine. Seeds were roasted for food because they are toxic raw.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- South Eastern Canada to Central & Eastern U.S.A
- Edibility:
- Seeds, roasted and ground, can be used as a substitute for coffee; does not have caffeine.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 60 ft. 0 in. - 75 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 40 ft. 0 in. - 50 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Native Plant
- Poisonous
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Ascending
- Horizontal
- Irregular
- Open
- Oval
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Coarse
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Available Space To Plant:
- 24-60 feet
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4b, 4a, 5b, 5a, 6b, 6a, 7a, 7b, 8b, 8a
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Brown/Copper
- Red/Burgundy
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Winter
- Fruit Type:
- Legume
- Fruit Length:
- > 3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- Female trees develop fruit; a flat black to red-brown 10" seed pod with 4-7 seeds with a sticky pulp between them. Male trees are considered desirable because of lack of pods, though they can be attractive.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Green
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Panicle
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Greenish white showy bloom in the late spring to early summer. Separate male and female trees. Male flowers appear in clusters 4" long while female flowers are in fragrant12" long panicles.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Insignificant
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Greenish white showy bloom in the late spring to early summer. Seperate male and female trees. Male flowers appear in clusters 4" long while female flowers are in fragrant12" long panicles.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Dark Gray
- Surface/Attachment:
- Scaly
- Bark Description:
- Scaly rough brown-gray bark
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Lawn
- Riparian
- Landscape Theme:
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Native Garden
- Rain Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Shade Tree
- Street Tree
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Drought
- Pollution
- Problems:
- Messy
- Poisonous to Humans
- Weak Wood
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Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- Low
- Poison Symptoms:
- CAUSES ONLY LOW TOXICITY IF EATEN. The pulp between the seeds can be mistaken for the sweet, non-toxic pulp of the honey locust. Stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, irregular pulse, coma.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Alkaloid cytisine
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- No
- Poison Part:
- Fruits
