Identifying characteristics:
The Kentucky coffee tree is a picturesque tree to 75 feet with stout, ascending,
crooked branches forming a narrow, rounded crown. The leaves
are twice-pinnately compound, alternate and up to 3 feet long, with 40 or
more ovate, entire leaflets. Appearing late in spring, the leaves are a
dark, blue-green color, becoming an ineffective yellow in the fall. The
flowers are produced May to
early June, with male and female flowers on separate trees. Female flowers
are exceptionally fragrant and only female trees produce pods. The fruit is a thick, leathery, brown
pod, 4 to 6 inches long with 3 to 9 large seeds embedded in a sweet, sticky
pulp. The leaf scars are large and heart-shaped, with 3 to 5 bundle
scars. The greenish or brown buds are sunken in small, round depressions.
A terminal bud is absent. The bark
on young trees is light gray with thin, scaly ridges that curl outwards
along the edges, becoming darker and furrowed with short, scaly ridges.
Similar species:
Ecology:
This tree is hardy in zones 3 to 8 and native from New York to Pennsylvania,
Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Tennessee. It is native throughout most
of Iowa, but is seldom found outside the state's major river systems. The
Kentucky coffee tree grows best in the rich, deep, moist soils of floodplains,
ravines and lower slopes, but adapts well to a variety of conditions, including
drought, limestone soils and city environments. Growth rate is moderate
to slow and colonies are often formed by root suckering. This species is
remarkably free of pests and diseases, but leaf spot and scale have been
reported.
Uses:
The common name originates from the use of the hard, bitter seeds by the
Kentucky settlers as a substitute for coffee around the turn of the century.
The tree, however, bears no relation to the commercial coffee tree. The
hard, heavy, durable wood is similar to that of the honey
locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) and is occasionally used for fence
posts and fuel. The wood is not commercially important due to the scarcity
of large trees. The sticky pulp seems to be of little interest to wildlife
and the seed and fruit have been reported to contain a toxic alkaloid, cytisine.
This a good lawn tree because it produces a light shade and creates winter
interest with its bold form and distinctive bark. Although the pods and
leaves can be messy, the Kentucky coffee tree is a tough, valuable tree
ideal for planting in parks golf courses and other large areas.
