Kentucky Coffeetree
Kentucky Coffeetree
Botanical Name: Gymnocladus dioicus L.Family Name: Fabaceae – Legumes familyOrigin: Central United StatesNative Americans drank the roasted beans from this tree in a hot beverage, like coffee. The first white settlers of Kentucky used this concoction as a substitute for real coffee when their intital supplies ran out. As a result, they referred to this local tree as the “coffeetree.” The coffeetree was the state tree of Kentucky from 1976 until 1994. (Today, the state tree of Kentucky is the tulip poplar.)
The Kentucky coffeetree is often planted in parks and along city streets for ornamental purposes. It is not commonly offered in the nursery trade because it initially grows a deep taproot which makes the tree more difficult to transplant. The tree is considered a rare species because its seed does not easily disperse. Its leathery seed pod is difficult for many animals to pierce while chewing, and the seeds are too heavy to be easily spread by the wind. Seed pods left in wet conditions will eventually rot releasing the seeds to germinate. Accordingly, the tree can often be found in river valleys or flood plains in central and eastern United States.
The coffeetree ranges from 60-70 feet high with a trunk up to 3 feet in diameter. It is typically short-lived, although healthy ones can live up to 150 years. The bark of the coffeetree is tan or dark gray, deeply fissured, with a scaly surface, often with prominent narrow ridges. The leaf is compound bipinnate which means each stem has multiple sets of rows of leaflets, where the leaflets are on opposite sides of the stem.
The coffeetree produces a fruit that is a hard-shelled bean in heavy, woody, thick-walled pods filled with a sweet, thick, gooey pulp. The pod length ranges from 5 to 10 inches long. Unfertilized female trees may bear miniature seedless pods. The beans contain the toxin cytisine, making it unpopular to eat without first roasting or boiling the seeds. The toxin affects humans, livestock and small animals.
The wood from the tree is used by cabinetmakers and carpenters. It is also excellent for firewood. The outer sapwood is yellowish white with narrow grain and the inner heartwood is reddish brown or orange.
While walking the grounds of Dodona Manor, we hope you enjoy looking at this rare tree that provided some morning comfort to early settlers in Kentucky.