Tree Categories: Flowering Trees, Ornamental Trees, and Shade Trees
Mature Tree Height: 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 Kentucky Coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioica) is a large-sized ornamental tree. It gets its name from the small brown fruits that develop at the end of its seed pods that resemble coffee beans when they ripen and are dried. It has large, bipinnately compound leaflets that can reach up to 36 inches long and turn a warm yellow in the fall. They are some of the last leaves to emerge in the spring.
As the leaves are maturing, clusters of greenish white flowers start to bloom, the female ones having a fragrance like a rose. Its seed pods stay on the tree through the winter. The longevity of the seed pods, the scaly gray bark, and the interesting, irregular, vase-like shape of the tree’s canopy make it an interesting specimen in the winter.
The Kentucky Coffeetree is native to the Central United States, from Nebraska to Pennsylvania. It is a tough and adaptable tree that is drought and pollution tolerant. It is becoming more popular as an ornamental tree around cities for its tolerance of urban conditions and attractive appearance. Great tree to plant in the yard standing on its own for shade and appearance. It does best in full sun and tolerates most soil conditions.
