Coffeetrees are large, deciduous trees with stout branches. Twigs have large pith chambers and small, reddish, superposed winter buds. Terminal buds are absent. Leaves are twice compound with entire margined leaflets. Flowers are borne in terminal panicles. Fruit is a thick, flat pod.
Gymnocladus dioicus–Kentucky Coffeetree
Winter buds are small, reddish, and often placed above one another in close formation (superposed). Terminal buds are absent. The buds are small, downy, almost entirely imbedded in twigs, and surrounded by a hairy ring of bark. The bark is dark gray to blackish-brown, and roughened by long, shallow furrows. The twigs are very stout, greenish-brown, often covered with a crusty coating marked with large, broad, heart-shaped leaf scars. Twigs contain a wide, pinkish to brown pith.
The flowers appear in June and are of two kinds. Male and female flowers are borne on separate trees. Flowers are greenish-white and grouped in panicles. Female panicles are up to 12 inches (30 cm) long while male flower clusters are denser and only 3—4 inches (71/2—10 cm) long. The pods result from the female flowers and contain six to nine marble-like brown seeds. Pods are 6—10 inches (15—25 cm) long and mature in October. The conspicuous pods often persist far into the winter.
The wood is rather heavy, coarse-grained, and light brown to reddish-brown in color. It is used for general construction work. The common name of this tree derives from the one- time use of the roasted seeds as an inferior substitute for coffee.
Kentucky Coffeetree–Gymnocladus dioicus
The Kentucky coffeetree is found from central New York to Tennessee and west to Minnesota and Oklahoma. It is common on limestone soils of southern and southwestern Ohio. It is rare north of Franklin County, and is seldom found in the unglaciated section in southeastern Ohio.
One of the most striking characteristics of the tree is its outline during the winter. Standing in the open, the tree appears rugged and coarse in outline. The branches are heavy and thick, apparently with no twigs. Lacking foliage the tree presents a decidedly naked appearance as if heavily pruned.
The leaves are alternate, twice compound, 1—21/2 feet (301/2—76 cm) long, and 1—2 feet (30—61 cm) wide. The leaflets are egg-shaped and about 2 inches (5 cm) long. The foliage has a sharp, pointed apex and an entire to undulate leaf margin. Leaves are hairy when young, becoming glabrous later. Flowers are borne in terminal panicles. Fruit is a thick, flat pod.
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| Kentucky Coffeetree |