The genus Gymnocladus is represented by four species native to North America [1] and Asia [3]. The word gymnocladus comes from the Greek—naked branch—referring to the few stout twigs, which are conspicuous year round. The word dioicus relates to dioecious, meaning there are male and female trees.

Other Common Names: American coffee bean, American mahogany, chicot, chico du Canada, chicot tree, coffeebean, coffeebean-tree, coffeenut, coffeetree, dead tree, geweihbaum, Kentucky mahogany, mahogany, mahogany-bean, nettle-tree, nicker-tree, stump tree.

Distribution: From central New York and southern Ontario west to southern Michigan, Minnesota and South Dakota south to central Kansas, southern Oklahoma east to Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

The Tree: The Kentucky coffeetree is medium size, reaching 100 ft (30 m) tall and 3 ft

(1 m) in diameter. The trunk commonly divides into 3 or 4 stems, about 15 ft (4.5 m) from the ground. The tree has deciduous leaves that are bipinnately compound. It produces white to lavender flowers in large clusters (terminal racemes). The tree produces bean-like pods that are hard and woody when mature and contain several seeds surrounded in sweet, greenish pulp. It grows in deep rich soils in bottom lands, in association with sweetgum, tupelo, oaks and hickories. For about 6 months of the year, the tree lies dormant, leading to the name Dead Tree or Stump Tree.

General Wood Characteristics: The wood of Kentucky coffeetree is ring porous, re­sembling ash, honeylocust or sassafras. Its sapwood is narrow and yellowish white, while the heartwood is light red to reddish brown. The wood has no characteristic odor or taste. It is hard and heavy, with a coarse, straight grain.

 

 

Mechanical propertiesa

 

Drying and shrinkagea

Percentage of shrinkage (green to final moisture content)

Type of shrinkage        0% MC        6% MC 20% MC

Tangential        7.6        5.9        2.4

Radial        4.1        3.3        1.2

Volumetric        11.9        9.6        4.0

aReference (90).

Working Properties: Kentucky coffeetree works without difficulty and finishes to a smooth surface.

Durability: Very resistant to heartwood decay, especially in contact with the soil. Preservation: No information available at this time.

Uses: Cabinets, railroad ties, fence posts and rails, general construction, railway sleepers, bridge timbers, sills, interior finish, fuel. The seeds were used by the pioneers as a coffee substitute (“coffeetree”).

Toxicity: No information available at this time.

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