Kentucky coffeetree

Seedling trees, bare root.

Kentucky coffeetree is a leguminous tree and is a known nitrogen fixer. Like most leguminous trees, it has pinnately compound leaves, which generally let in more sunlight through the canopy than broad leaf trees. As such, they can be used to create a unique successional microclimate in reclaiming fallow fields or pastures. It has a fast growth rate when young, being known to reach 12 to 14 feet in the first several years.

Its name comes to us from older times, when the seeds were used to make a drink that resembles coffee in flavor.

Plant details:
Genus & species: Gymnocladus dioicus
Hardiness: Zone 3 to zone 8
Sun: Full sun
Soil type: Tolerant of a variety of soil types, including wet soils
Soil moisture: Average to moist, drought-tolerant once established