Tree Categories: Flowering Trees, Ornamental Trees, and Shade Trees
Mature Tree Height: 40-60 feet tall | Mature Tree Width: 30+ feet wide
Tree Growing Zones: Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, and Zone 8
The Decaf® Kentucky Coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioica ‘McKBranched’) is a medium- to large-sized shade tree. It has an attractive upright, spreading form with a rounded oval shape. In mid summer, white-green flowers spot the tree and have a droopy appearance. This variety has a much improved branching habit than the parent species. The large doubly compound leaves emerge in early summer and are caramel colored and mature to a handsome blue-green for the rest of the season. They go on to turn yellow in the fall. This is a male selection and does not develop fruits, making it cleaner than the parent species. It also has a nice winter silhouette with its big branches and patterned, flakey ridged bark.
The Decaf® Kentucky Coffeetree was discovered in 2008 in Waterloo, Wisconsin growing in a field. It can be found growing in the wild in the Northeast United States and scattered in the Midwest. This cultivar is known for its younger trees to branch earlier and more thoroughly than the parent species, making it able to be trained to have improved branching as it matures. A great option for a yard landscape as a showy shade tree. It does best in full sun and is quite tolerant of many soil types.
