Gymnocladus Dioica (Kentucky Coffee Tree)

Species	:	Gymnocladus Dioica
Common Name(s)	:	Kentucky Coffee Tree
Tree Features	:	Autumn Colour,Large Leaves
Genus	:	Gymnocladus
Growth Rate	:	Slow Growing
Seasons of Interest	:	Spring Interest,Autumn Interest
Mature Size	:	Medium to Large (15-20m)
Tree Type	:	Deciduous Broad Leaf
Tree uses	:	Parkland Trees

The Kentucky Coffee Tree is surely one of the most handsome of all trees.

The seeds were used as a substitute for coffee beans by the early settlers in North America but are thought to be poisonous if not roasted first.

The exact introduction date is vague but it is thought to have been planted in the UK since the 1750s.

This slow growing tree of medium to large size has large, compound leaves, which are pink tinged in spring and clear yellow in autumn.

The young twigs are pale grey, almost white, and particularly noticeable in winter.

A wonderful choice for parks.

Mature height: 15-20m

Shopping cart

The cart is empty

Plant trees for the Jubilee

How you can support the Woodland Trust's Jubilee Woods Project to plant 6 million new trees to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee.

Find Similar Trees

Tree Features

Acer Campestre Lineco

Many clonal selections are produced by growers but most are too similar to existing varieties to ...

Acer cappadocicum 'Aureum'

This tree prefers sheltered conditions and is not tolerant to urban pollution. It is ...

Acer cappadocicum

The bark is veined with a hint of yellow when young and it is a native of Western Asia to ...

Acer palmatum (Japanese Maple) Purpurea

It makes a small tree for a sheltered position such as a courtyard or urban garden. It has a ...

Acer platanoides (Norway Maple) 'Fairview'

This tree thrives on poor urban soils and maintains an upright oval habit and at maturity its ...

Acer platanoides (Norway maple) 'Crimson King'

A seedling of Schwedleri, it was raised in Belgium in the 1930s. It does well on most soil ...

Acer pseudoplatanus (Sycamore)

Its wood has been used for making innumerable small items from violins to wooden spoons. It is ...

Catalpa bignonioides (Indian Bean Tree) 'Aurea'

This golden leaved form of the superb Indian Bean Tree and was introduced in the late 1870s and ...

Crataegus x lavalleei 'Carrièrei'

A hawthorn of garden origin, dating from around 1870, that won the Award of Garden Merit in both ...

Crataegus x prunifolia (Hawthorn) 'Splendens'

A clonal selection of Crataegus prunifolia that is very similar to its parent in every way apart ...

Fraxinus ornus (Flowering Ash) 'Meczek'

This Flowering Ash is the perfect choice where space is limited. Often referred to as a ...

Fraxinus ornus (Manna Ash, Flowering Ash)

The Manna Ash or Flowering Ash has been grown in Britain since before 1700. A sweet sap, known ...

Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweet Gum) 'Lane Roberts'

This sweet gum cultivar is particularly reliable in Britain and won the Award of Garden Merit in ...

Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweet Gum) 'Stella'

This Sweet Gum with deeply cut star-like leaves resembles a semi dwarfing clone of Liquidambar ...

Parrotia persica (Persian Ironwood)

Persian Ironwood is usually grown as a large shrub, and was formerly classified as a species of ...

Paulownia tomentosa (Foxglove Tree)

One of the most spectacular of ornamental flowering trees, the Foxglove Tree takes its name from ...

Pyrus calleryana (Ornamental Pear) 'Redspire'

Patented by Princeton Nursery in America in 1975, this seedling of Bradford Pear is happily less ...

Ulmus (Elm) 'Dodoens'

This Elm was seed-raised in the 1950s and eventually released for general cultivation in ...

Ulmus (Elm) 'Lobel'

This Elm cultivar was raised at Wageningen in the Netherlands, and was selected for its ...

Growth Rate

Acer palmatum Dissectum Garnet (Japanese Maple)

It is a strong growing form with good autumn colour. We grow this as a full standard tree with ...

Acer pseudoplatanus (Sycamore) 'Brilliantissimum'

The young leaves in spring are a wonderful shell pink, hardening to light green by June. An ...

Betula pendula 'Purpurea' (Purple Birch)

Introduced in the early 1870s, this slow growing and rare variety won the First Class ...

Carpinus betulus Purpurea

Introduced in the mid 1870s this unusual tree is well suited for plant collections and ...

Cedrus deodara (Deodar Cedar) 'Karl Fuchs'

This form of the Deodar Cedar is named after the German plant collector who brought the seed ...

Cedrus deodara (Deodar Cedar) 'Kelly Gold'

This Deodar Cedar is most impressive for large gardens, parkland and estates. Like many yellow ...

Corylus avellana Contorta (Corkscrew Hazel)

This Hazel is also known as Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick, after the Scottish music hall ...

Fagus sylvatica (Beech) 'Dawyck Purple'

A Fastigiate Beech with stunning dark foliage. Raised from the same seed source as Dawyck Gold ...

Fagus sylvatica (Beech) 'Rohanii'

Thought to be a cross between Fagus sylvatica Quercifolia and Purpurea, this extremely pretty ...

Fraxinus ornus (Flowering Ash) 'Meczek'

This Flowering Ash is the perfect choice where space is limited. Often referred to as a ...

Ginkgo biloba Princeton Sentry

Raised by the famous but now sadly out of business Princeton Nursery in New Jersey. In our ...

Ilex aquifolium 'Argentea Marginata' (Broad-leaved Silver

This lovely clone won the Award of Garden Merit in 2002. Ideal for hedging or specimen ...

Ilex aquifolium (Common Holly)

One of the most evocative and best loved of all trees; the Common Holly is beautiful in its ...

Juglans regia (Common Walnut)

A native of South Eastern Europe, Himalaya and China, this well known tree is highly prized for ...

Laurus nobilis (Bay Laurel)

We grow this as a clear stemmed full standard tree. A native of the Mediterranean, it was ...

Picea pungens 'Hoopsii' (Colorado Blue Spruce)

This form of Colorado blue spruce is slow growing but highly ornamental. Introduced in the mid ...

Tilia cordata 'Winter Orange'

This exiting new variety was found as a seedling in the Netherlands in the 1970s. Whenever we ...

Tilia mongolica (Mongolian Lime)

The Mongolian Lime was introduced from its homeland in the early 1880s. It is both aphid ...

Tilia platyphyllos 'Rubra' (Red-twigged Lime)

The Red-twigged Lime is a slow grower than its parent and its fresh red twiggy growth is ...

Ulmus carpinifolia 'Wredei Aurea'

This rather slow growing Elm is probably protected against Dutch Elm disease as a result of its ...

Season of Interest

Acer platanoides (Norway Maple) 'Princeton Gold'

We recommend it for both park and street planting. Developed in the States, the foliage can ...

Acer pseudoplatanus (Sycamore) 'Corstorphinense'

It was under this tree that Lord Forrester was murdered by his sister in law with his own sword ...

Aesculus indica (Indian Horse Chestnut)

We are indebted to Henry Girling who very kindly gave us seed from the clonal selection Sydney ...

Crataegus monogyna 'Alboplena'

This small tree is very silimar in most respects to C. monogyna, but has double white flowers. ...

Fraxinus ornus (Flowering Ash) 'Obelisk'

As its name suggests, this Flowering Ash has a narrow, columnar habit, ideal for restricted ...

Ginkgo biloba (Maidenhair Tree)

Very common about 200 million years ago, this marvellous gymnosperm is making a comeback as an ...

Juglans regia (Common Walnut)

A native of South Eastern Europe, Himalaya and China, this well known tree is highly prized for ...

Magnolia Chameleon (Chang Hua Magnolia)

A very pretty cultivar that is known to flower three times in a single year in its native ...

Malus (Crab Apple) 'John Downie'

Raised in 1875, this is thought by many to be the best fruiting crab. It won the updated Award ...

Malus floribunda (Japanese Crab)

A most elegant crab, introduced from Japan in the early 1860s, but prone to suffer badly from ...

Prunus serrula 'Tibetica' (Tibetan Cherry)

This lovely cherry was introduced from Western China in 1908 by Ernest Wilson and is surely one ...

Quercus 'coccinea' (Scarlet Oak)

This superb autumn colourer was introduced from its native South Eastern Canada and Eastern USA ...

Quercus cerris (Turkey Oak)

The highly durable Turkey Oak was introduced into the UK in 1735. A magnificent specimen can be ...

Taxodium distichum (Swamp Cypress)

The Swamp Cypress is the best conifer for wet soils. A native of the Florida Everglades, it is ...

Size

Acer cappadocicum 'Rubrum'

It is a medium to large tree with a rounded habit. The young, dark red leaves turn green and ...

Acer platanoides (Norway Maple) 'Columnare'

The crown stays closed even when the tree is mature. It does well on most soil types, tolerates ...

Acer platanoides (Norway Maple) 'Cleveland'

Very good as a street tree and for urban plantings. Considered as one of the best clones for ...

Acer platanoides (Norway Maple) 'Drummondii'

It produces magnificently variegated foliage which has a wide, creamy white margin. Any shoots ...

Acer x freemanii Autumn Fantasy

Introduced from the USA by Bill Wandell of Illinois and new to our range in 2010. Its real ...

Betula maximowicziana (Birch)

It is a native of Japan where it can reach up to 35 metres in height but it is rare to see in ...

Betula papyrifera (Paper Birch)

It was introduced into the UK in 1750. Until it clears 20-25cm girth the bark is a brown / red ...

Betula pendula (Silver Birch)

The Silver Birch is also known as the “Lady of the Woods” – so called because of its slender and ...

Calocedrus decurrans (Incense Cedar)

Native to California and Oregon, this large, evergreen conifer has a columnar habit making it ...

Ginkgo biloba Saratoga

This handsome broadly pyramidal male clone retains a distinctive central leader and was ...

Gleditsia triacanthos (Honey Locust) 'Sunburst'

Although originally from moist and even swampy areas, the Honey Locust does well in much drier ...

Gleditsia triacanthos (Honey Locust)

A wonderful choice for heavily polluted environments prone to vandalism. Introduced from ...

Nyssa sylvatica (Black Gum)

Introduced from America in 1750, this is widely regarded as the most attractive of all the ...

Pinus pinaster (Bournemouth Pine)

A highly useful introduction from the Western Mediterranean. Introduced in the 16th century it ...

Populus serotina 'Aurea'

Derived from a sport taken at Van Geert’s nursery in Ghent in 1871, this won the Award of Garden ...

Populus tremula 'Erecta' (Swedish Upright)

Widely used as a street tree in the USA this underused tree was first discovered in a Swedish ...

Prunus avium (Wild Cherry) 'Plena'

This wonderful double flowering version of our native Wild Cherry has been in cultivation since ...

Tilia x euchlora (Caucasian Lime)

The result of a cross between Tilia cordata and Tilia dasystyla, this ever popular lime can grow ...

Tree Type

Acer palmatum Dissectum Garnet (Japanese Maple)

It is a strong growing form with good autumn colour. We grow this as a full standard tree with ...

Acer pseudoplatanus (Sycamore) 'Brilliantissimum'

The young leaves in spring are a wonderful shell pink, hardening to light green by June. An ...

Acer rubrum (Canadian Maple) 'Red Sunset'

Rated very highly by arborists for its good branch angle formation and landscape architects for ...

Acer rubrum (Canadian Maple) 'Scanlon'

Denser than Acer freemanii Armstrong, this very worthy clone has been superseded by cultivars ...

Acer rubrum (Canadian Maple)

Cultivated in Europe for its fabulous autumn colour and in America for the manufacture of ...

Betula pendula 'Youngii' (Youngs Weeping Birch)

Originating in the early 1870s, this small to medium weeping birch has no defined central leader ...

Celtis australis (Nettle Tree)

The wood of the Nettle Tree was once used to produce charcoal. A native of Southern Europe and ...

Crataegus x lavalleei (Hybrid Cockspur Thorn)

A small hawthorn tree which produces a dense crown of thorn clad branches that give rise to its ...

Crataegus x prunifolia (Broad-leaved Cockspur Thorn)

This small hawthorn is thornier than most others and won the Award of Garden Merit in 2002. It ...

Fraxinus angustifolia (Ash) 'Raywood'

This ash cultivar was introduced to Britain from Australia in the mid 1920s. Referred to by ...

Fraxinus pennsylvanica (Red Ash, Green Ash) 'Summit'

An American selection of the Red Ash or, confusingly as it is also known, the Green Ash. ...

Koelreuteria paniculata (Pride of India) 'Fastigiata'

A columnar form of Pride of India. Raised by Kew Gardens from seeds received in 1888 from ...

Laburnum x watereri 'Vossii'

A most floriferous cultivar that won the Award of Garden Merit in 2002. Selected in Holland ...

Malus (Crab Apple) 'Red Sentinel'

Brought into cultivation in 1959, this profusely fruiting crab is a favourite for gardeners who ...

Mespilus germanica (Medlar)

The Medlar has been in cultivation since early times, having been grown in the Emperor ...

Nothofagus antarctica (Antarctic Beech)

A native of Chile and introduced to Britain in the early 1830s, this beech is a fast ...

Pyrus 'Beurre Hardy' (Pear)

A strong growing pear, grown at Barcham as a full standard and a vigorous cropper that is ...

Quercus castaneifolia (Chestnut-leaved Oak)

The Chestnut-leaved Oak was introduced from the Caucasus and Iran in the mid 1840s but is rarely ...

Quercus x hispanica 'Wageningen'

This rarely seen tree is thought to be a hybrid between Quercus Castanefolia and Quercus ...

Tilia x europaea 'Pallida' (Kaiser Linden)

The Kaiser Linden is the Lime of the famous Unter den Linden in Berlin and has been highly rated ...

Tree Uses

Newsletter Signup

Fill in this form if you would like to receive Special Offers and updates from Barcham