A good choice for parks, golf courses, buffer strips around parking lots, and as a shade tree specimen. The Kentucky Coffetree is widely used as an ornamental and street tree. Pictured here, the tree is planted among the groundcover Genista lydia also known as broom or woodwaxen. However, it should be noted that the large pods from the female tree can become a nuiscance in a lawn or sidewalk area when they drop. Bark: Grayish brown to dark brown. Rough, with hard, thin, and scaly ridges curling outward along the edges. Very unique and interesting bark pattern. Foliage: Alternate, bipinnately compound, 36 inches long by 24 inches wide with 3 - 7 leaflets. Leaflets are elliptic-ovate, entire and 11/2-3 inches long. New leaves are pinkish to purplish tinged gradually changing to dark green almost bluish green in summer. Flowers: Dioecious, fragrant, greenish white with 4 - 5 petals, blooming in late May to early June. Each flower is 3/4 - 1 inch long, borne on an 8 - 12 inch long by 3 - 4 inch wide panicle on the female tree. On the male tree the panicle is 1/3 the length of the of the panicle on the female tree. Fruit: Reddish brown to brownish black, leathery pods 5 - 10 inches long by 1 1/2 - 2 inches wide. The pods contain large blackish brown, hard shelled, rounded seeds imbedded in a sweet, sticky pulp which ripens in October, but persist on the tree through winter. Usually takes 4 - 8 years of growth from seed before tree fruits.
| Tree ID Number: | 1137 |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name: | Gymnocladus dioicus |
| Mature Height: | 60-75 ft but can get up to 90 ft |
| Canopy Spread (Diameter): | 40-50 ft |
| Branching Shape: | Vertical branches form a narrow, obovate crown |
| Growth Rate: | Slow to medium |
| Wood Strength: | Medium |
| Cold Hardiness Zone: | 3b-8 |
| Soil Moisture Requirements: | Moist, Dry |
| Light Requirements: | Sun |
| Common Pests: | None Serious |
| Comments: | Parks, golf courses, and other large areas. At times, the pods fall creating a mess. One of the latest trees to leaf out in the spring, usually mid-May. Fall color is often not consistent. |
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