Thursday, February 8, 2018

Kentucky Coffeetree - Gymnocladus dioicus

Fabaceae - Bean Family
"A Year With the Trees" - Tree Number 32
Kentucky Coffeetree

Gymnocladus dioicus


Spring
 Kentucky Coffeetree - Gymnocladus dioicus
 Kentucky Coffeetree - Gymnocladus dioicus
The Kentucky Coffeetree leaves are described as being alternate, bi-pinnately compound.  The leaflets are ovate shaped and two inches long. wedge-shaped or sort-of rounded at base, with wavy margin and a pointed tip.

I found some pods on the ground under this tree with some beans still inside.  Did you know that the early settlers of our country used these beans to make coffee?  They actually do smell a bit like coffee.

Kentucky Coffeetree  Pod


Summer

One of the three champion Kentucky Coffeetrees as found on the National Register of Big Trees at www.americanforests.org, is located in Montgomery, MD.  It is 186 inches in circumference and has a height of 106 feet.

This incredible tree has large bipinnately compound leaves and leathery pods that stay on the trees for most of the year.

Kentucky Coffeetree

Fall

The Kentucky Coffeetree

This Kentucky Coffeetree lives at the Botanical Gardens at Asheville, North Carolina. ashevillebotanicalgardens.org


Winter
The Kentucky Coffeetree - Gymnocladus dioicus.  Photo by Robert Priddy - www.RobertPriddyPhoto.com

The Kentucky Coffeetree - Gymnocladus dioicus
This Kentucky Coffeetree lives at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville.  NCArboretum.org


For the love of the trees,
Becky

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