Kentucky Coffeetree - Gymnocladus dioicus Pea Family (Fabaceae)

The common name comes from the seeds being used by pioneers as a coffee substitute.1
With its bold form, contorted branching, unique bark and decorative clusters of large pods rattling in the wind, Kentucky coffeetree is an exceptional winter ornamental.1

The poisonous fruit is a 5- to 10-inch long, brown, woody pod that contains sticky pulp and a few large seeds. The toxic alkaloid, cystisine, is neutralized in the roasting process.1

Gymnos is the Greek word for “naked” and klados is Greek for “branch.” This name refers to the large, coarse branches (without smaller twigs) that remain after the rachis and petiole of the bipinnately compound leaves fall. The species name, dioicus, refers to the tree’s dioecious nature.1

Very large (3ft long and 2 ft wide) compound leaves with numerous leaflets. They are pink-bronze when they emerge in the spring, then dark bluish green in summer. The poisionous fruit is a 5-10″ long brown, woody pod that contains sticky pulp and a few large seeds.1