Kentucky coffeetree is a striking native tree known for its bold form, large compound leaves and strong seasonal presence. In summer it produces a full, textured canopy of finely divided foliage that creates light, dappled shade and gives a distinctly tropical feel in contrast to many other native trees. It is also highly tolerant of urban conditions, making it a resilient choice for larger landscapes.
Quick Facts
- Height: approximately 45 feet in urban settings
- Spread: approximately 35 feet in urban settings
- Form: upright, oval to rounded crown with irregular branching
- Leaves: bi-pinnately compound, bright green above and paler green below, numerous ovate leaflets with smooth edges (makes tree appear fuller); emerge in late spring; turns yellow in fall.
- Flowers: long, white, fragrant, non-showy, male and female clusters; emerge in late spring on separate trees
- Fruit: large, green to purple, thick, flat pods containing round, dark brown, flat seeds embedded in a sticky pulp; mature in late summer and persist throughout the winter on female trees only
- Bark: flaky, scaled, grey when young; furrowed, rough, dark grey with orange undertones when mature
Distinguishing Feature
Its exceptionally large, divided leaves give it a bold, tropical-like appearance in summer. The fine texture of the foliage creates a soft, airy canopy that stands out among more traditional street and landscape trees.
Why We Love It
Kentucky coffeetree adds strong summer character to the landscape with its lush canopy and filtered shade. Once established, it thrives in tough urban conditions such as drought and compacted soils. Its structure and shade make it a great choice for parks, large yards and naturalized plantings where long-term resilience and presence are important.
Did You Know?
- It gets its name from early settlers who roasted the seeds and used them as a coffee substitute. While toxic when raw, the seeds were once roasted and used to make a coffee-like drink, though it never quite matched the flavour of real coffee.
- It is one of the few native trees with true bipinnate compound leaves, meaning each leaf is divided twice into many small leaflets. This creates a very fine, feathery looking canopy in summer that lets light filter through in a soft, dappled way
- The large seed pods are thought to be an evolutionary relic from the Pleistocene, when they may have been dispersed by now extinct megafauna such as mastodons, woolly mammoths and giant ground sloths. Few modern animals can break them open, so the tree now relies more on water and humans for dispersal.
Plant Your Own!
Adding a Kentucky coffeetree to your yard provides bold summer shade, seasonal interest and strong ecological value. Plant for less with LEAF’s subsidized Tree Planting Program today!
LEAF (Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the protection and improvement of urban forests. We envision vibrant communities where everyone benefits from a healthy urban forest. For over 30 years we have been connecting people with trees through education, planting and stewardship.
