Photo: romana klee from usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Kentucky Coffeetree
Gymnocladus dioicus
Also called coffee tree, coffeenut.
Bold, coarse and nearly indestructible: a rare native shade tree for tough sites and cold climates.
Drought tolerantRareWildlife value
- Type
- Large tree
- Mature height
- 60–80 ft
- USDA zones
- 3–8
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Sun
- Full
- Soil moisture
- Average · Dry
210
Coffeetree has enormous doubly compound leaves, a picturesque winter silhouette and no serious pests. It tolerates drought, alkaline soil, road salt and urban compaction, which makes it one of the best street trees for the Midwest and Northeast. Female trees carry thick pods; the raw seeds are toxic, so it is not a coffee substitute despite the name.
Heights and zones are typical ranges for the species in cultivation; local conditions and seed source shift them. Estimate growth for this species →
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