Gymnocladus dioicus

Kentucky Coffee Tree
Gymnocladus dioicus 

Height: 17-20 m

Width: 13-15 m

Zone: 4

Exposure: Sun to shade

Large tree with an open, oval crown and irregular branching.  Greenish-white flowers on female plants, producing long, flat, brown seed pods.  Blue-green leaves in the Summer, turning an insignificant yellow in the Fall.  Very late to leaf out in the Ottawa area.

A good landscape tree for parks and large lawn areas. It has a striking winter silhouette. Seed pods, while visually attractive, can cause messy litter drop 

Indigenous peoples and early American settlers, especially those in the Kentucky area, roasted and ground the seeds to brew a coffee-like beverage (albeit no caffeine), hence the common name. Seeds are toxic unless roasted.