Kentucky Coffee Tree

Kentucky coffeetree

Kentucky coffeetree, (Gymnocladus dioicus), deciduous tree of the pea family (Fabaceae), native to North America from New York and southern Ontario to Oklahoma. In colonial times the roasted seeds were used as a coffee substitute, and the plant is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental. The strong heavy wood is used in cabinetry and general construction.

The Kentucky coffeetree grows to about 30 metres (100 feet) tall and features rough gray-brown bark. The large compound leaves are bipinnate, meaning the leaflets, in turn, bear leaflets. The greenish white flowers, about 1 cm (0.4 inch) long, are borne in large clusters and are unisexual. The woody fruit is a dark brown pod 5–25 cm (about 2–10 inches) long, containing seeds about 2.5 cm (1 inch) broad.