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Description Kentucky Coffeetree is a medium sized, deciduous tree, native to the midwestern United States. It is in the family Fabaceae. The scientific name of the genus, Gymnocladus, means "naked branch". The species name, dioicus, refers to the tree's dioecious nature, with seperate female and male trees. There is one other member of the genus Gymnocladus, G. Chinensis, native only to China, although fossil records indicate a related species existed on the European continent more than forty million years ago. 1. Range * Midwestern United States-From New York south to Tennessee, west to Oklahoma and north to southern Ontario. * Hardy in Zones 4-8 2. Ecological Role * Found in association with oak and hickory in the north, and tupelo and sweetgum in the south. * Found in deep, alkaline bottomlands. * Not a significant source of food for wildlife. 3. I.D. Characteristics * Medium sized deciduous tree. Typical mature size from 60' to 100'. * The leaves are large and doubly compound, without a terminal bud. The tree is among the latest to leaf out in spring. * Bark is dark grey-brown, and deeply furrowed, with platy scales on mature specimens. * Flowers are dioecious; they are on separate female and male trees. Female flowers are subtly fragrant and bear an inedible fruit. * Fruit is a leathery pod, 4"- 10" in length, with several hard, rounded seeds surrounded by a sticky, green pulp. The pods usually persist into winter, hanging distinctively on the ends of branches. * The overall texture of Kentucky Coffeetree is coarse, with thick branches and an open, rounded to irregular form. 4. Uses * Cabinetry, fenceposts, railroad ties. The Woodworker's Website Asociation has a good picture of the wood. * Underused as an ornamental. Males usually selected for landscape use. Excellent for parks, campuses, and other large spaces. Not suitable under power lines. * Tolerant of temperature fluctuations, drought, compaction, pollution, poor drainage and urban conditions. * Easy to propagate, but requires some effort. Hard seed coat can be scarified by abrading with a file, allowing water to penetrate and germination to occur. Root cuttings taken in late fall may also work well. * Common name is derived from lore that Native people and early European settlers roasted and ground the seeds, making a brew which substituted for coffee. -This is not recommended, as the leaves, pods and seeds are poisonous to humans and other critters. 5. History * The trees on the UVM campus are progeny of a tree at 286 College street in Burlington, Vermont. This location has a large female specimen which had several male trees in close proximity. This resulted in many volunteer Coffeetrees infiltrating the gardens and gutters of Tom Hudspeth, the professor who lived there, and he regularly gave trees away to all takers. Dr. Hudspeth believes that these trees were donated to the UVM campus via Dr. W. Luginbuhl, a former dean of the College of Medicine and tree enthusiast. (to be verified) The trees on the UVM campus are located on an open green between the Bailey Howe Library and the Aiken Building. There is a male and female specimen. The female is larger and located just west of the male, with leathery pods persisting from late summer through early spring. * Dr. Michael Dirr references several cultivars. 'Variegata" has a green and white leaf color; at least one specimen is located in Kew Gardens, England. * Despite being one of the few American trees with a state in its common name, Kentucky Coffeetree is not the official state tree of Kentucky. After a contentous and highly politicized forty year battle, and despite rallying cries from the opposition lobbying passionately for the Coffeetree, in 1994 that honor was bestowed upon the Tulip Poplar, Liriodendron tulipifera, a member of the Magnolia family. LINK to the state of Kentucky 's fascinating page on this topic. The national champion Kentucky Coffeetree is located in West Liberty, Morgan County, KY. Page written by Caroline I. Friede on April 19, 2004. |