Kentucky Coffee Tree
Gymnocladus dioicus
Coarse architectural silhouette and massive bipinnately compound leaves — among the last trees to leaf out, first to drop. Tolerates urban abuse. Seeds inside the leathery brown pods are toxic raw; settlers roasted them as a coffee substitute (don't try this).
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Type
- tree
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 60–80 ft
- Spacing
- 40–55 ft apart
- Light
- sun, part shade, shade
- Soil moisture
- dry, moist
- Soil pH
- acidic, neutral, alkaline
- Bloom
- June
- Bloom colors
- white, green, brown
- Wildlife value
- pollinators
- Landscape uses
- rain garden
- Native states
- AL, AR, DC, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, ND, NE, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV