Online Virtual Flora of Wisconsin

Gymnocladus dioicus (L.) K.Koch

Family: Fabaceae

Kentucky coffee-tree

[Guilandina dioica L.]

Darrin Kimbler

Derek Anderson

University of Wisconsin - Madison (WIS-VP)

Open Interactive Map

Etymology: Gymnocladus: Greek for "naked" and "a branch," referring to stout branches with no leaves for many months
Plants: perennial tree to 100' tall
Leaves: almost 40" long, bi-pinnately divided into 3-6 pairs of leaflets each with several pairs of leaflets
Flowers: greenish-white, softly hairy; petals and sepals nearly the same and longer than the stamens inflorescence a terminal panicle
Fruits: widely oblong, woody, flat but thick pods 3"-10" long; a few thick, hard seeds separated by pulp
Habitat: moist; rich woods
Hazardous: Careful, this plant is hazardous!
Conservation Status: Special Concern

Rich woods of sugar maple-basswood, often in ravines or on bluffs and talus slopes; also occasionally along roadsides and railroad tracks and in fields. Like Gleditsia, Wisconsin lies at the edge of the range of this species, and it is native in roughly the same areas but extends a bit farther north. It is also widely planted as a street tree but does not seem to escape as readily. Populations outside of this confined range were possibly introduced by Native Americans who used the seeds for food, medicine, and for ceremonial and recreational practices.