Kentucky coffeetree

« Back to Glossary Index

**Botanical Characteristics:**
– Kentucky coffeetree reaches heights of 18 to 21 meters with a spread of 12 to 15 meters and a trunk diameter of up to one meter.
– Growth rate is medium, with annual height increases of 12 to 24 inches.
– A 10-year-old sapling stands about 4 meters tall.
– Typically lives from 100 to 150 years.
– Dioecious tree with male and female flowers on separate plants.
– Female flowers are 8 to 12 inches long, greenish white, and fragrant, appearing in early summer.
– Male flowers are about half the size of female flowers.
– Flowers have specific characteristics like tubular calyx, oblong petals, ten stamens, and a superior ovary.
– Fruit is a legume, 6 to 10 inches long, with sweet pulp surrounding seeds.

**Taxonomy and Distribution:**
– Genus Gymnocladus is derived from Ancient Greek words for branch and naked.
– Kentucky coffeetree is the only species native to North America in the Gymnocladus genus.
– Native range includes areas from Southern Ontario, Canada, to Kentucky, Connecticut, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Louisiana.
– Gymnocladus has four other species native to South, Southeast, and Eastern Asia.
– Considered a rare species that is widely distributed but rare.
– The tree is planted as an urban shade tree across the United States and eastern Canada.

**Ecological and Cultural Significance:**
– Historically dispersed seeds through megafauna.
– Plays a crucial role in forest ecosystems by providing food and habitat for wildlife.
– Used for ceremonial and recreational purposes by Native Americans.
– Native Americans used various parts of the tree for medicinal purposes.
– Recognized for its unique appearance in landscaping.
– Early settlers used the seeds as a coffee substitute.

**Uses and Management:**
– Cultivated by specialty tree nurseries for urban environments.
– Ideal for urban shading due to late-emerging leaves.
– Grows well in various conditions like heat, cold, drought, and alkaline soil.
– Efforts to conserve genetic diversity.
– Propagation through seeds and seedlings.
– Research on long-term sustainability.

**Notable Specimens and Additional Resources:**
– Specimen in France had a height of 26 meters.
– Largest Kentucky coffeetree in Texas has specific measurements.
– Sternberg’s ‘Native Trees for North American Landscapes’ and Hightshoe’s manual on urban and rural tree planting are recommended resources.
– University tree guides for planting dimensions.
– Links to multimedia resources on Gymnocladus dioicus.
– Resources for further reading on the Kentucky Coffeetree.

« Back to Glossary Index