Gymnocladus dioicus

Gymnocladus dioicus, the Kentucky coffeetree, is a large, long-lived deciduous tree of the legume family, native to central and eastern North America, where it can exceed 20 m. Its stout, sparsely branched shoots and rugged, deeply fissured bark give it one of the boldest winter silhouettes of any hardy tree.

The twice-divided leaves are enormous, up to a metre long. They emerge pinkish-bronze late in spring, turn blue-green in summer and soft yellow in autumn. Greenish-white flowers open in late spring to early summer on separate male and female trees; females later carry thick, leathery, reddish-brown pods that hang on through winter. Early settlers roasted the seeds as a coffee substitute, hence the name, but raw seeds and pods are poisonous.

• Huge bipinnate leaves up to 1 m long
• Pinkish-bronze young foliage and yellow autumn colour
• Rugged, deeply furrowed bark and bold winter outline
• Drought tolerant and adapted to urban conditions
• Very cold hardy

Give the Kentucky coffeetree full sun and room to develop. It grows best in deep, fertile soil but tolerates clay, drought and city conditions once established, and needs little pruning.

IMPORTANT: The pictures show the mother plant, which is not for sale. The offer includes a plant with the dimensions stated in the description.