Kentucky coffeetree: a tree for all occasions.

Despite its name, Kentucky coffeetree is better used as a specialty wood or for furniture than as a drink. The tree itself is identified by its dark furrowed and ridged trunk and its scaly, thick twigs, which stand out in winter and spring because the tree gets its leaves so late and loses them early.

Despite the fact that Kentucky coffeetree has a relatively large growing area, it does not grow plentifully and is considered a scarce wood. The tree grows well in moist areas, with a range from Pennsylvania to Iowa and south from Kentucky to Arkansas. Kentucky coffeetree has also been found to grow as far north as southern Ontario and east to central New York.

The coffeetree yields attractive reddish-brown wood that is used in many applications, including cabinetry and architectural installations. In Kentucky, many famous architectural applications have used the attractive reddish-brown wood for paneling, doors and desks. Fruit pulp from the trees is used in home remedies.

Kentucky lore

A great deal of sentiment is attached to coffeetree, especially since it is named for the state of Kentucky, said Robert Volk of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet, Department for Natural Resources, Division of Forestry.

The tree gets its name from the fact that its seeds were once used as a coffee substitute. Early settlers planted the Kentucky coffeetree in hopes of establishing an American source for coffee. However, the coffee brewed from the roasted seeds is not all that enticing - the raw seeds can be poisonous as can the leaves and pods. The poison is believed to be caused by an alkaloid in the pods and seeds, called cytisin. Volk said that pioneers allegedly used crumpled leaves mixed in a bowl with water and sugar as a means of killing flies in the house. The flies would be attracted to the mix, drink it and die.

In 1994, the State of Kentucky named Kentucky coffeetree as its state heritage tree, replacing it as the state tree with yellow poplar. According to Robert Bauer of Morehead State University, Morehead, Ky., the move was approved by the state legislature because of "the abundance and importance of yellow poplar."

Tree specifics

There are only two species in the Genus Gymnocladus. One is Kentucky coffeetree, Gymnocladus dioicus. The other species is the Chinese Gymnocladus chinensis. The Chinese tree is much smaller than the Kentucky variety, which averages heights of 60 to 80 feet but can grow as tall as 100 feet. The Chinese variety has pods like the Kentucky tree, but its pods are saponaceous and are used as a substitute for soap.