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Kentucky Coffee Tree

Gymnocladus dioicus
$9925 $12890
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Delivery and Shipping

Shipping

To obtain a more accurate shipment time-frame, simply enter your zip code in the “Find Your Growing Zone” box to the right. Our plants are grown all over the country and lead time on items may be different because of this. Once your order is placed, you will also receive the specific shipment time-frame information as part of your order confirmation. Once an item ships, you will receive shipment notification and tracking numbers, so you can follow along while your plant travels to your doorstep. We use FedEx, UPS, or USPS at our discretion.

 

Due to winter weather we have put a hold on shipping to the areas shown below in grey. You can still order now and we will ship the plant to you during an appropriate time for your zone.

*If you have found your zone already, it will be highlighted in the table below.

Standard Shipping Rates

At Nature Hills we handle, package and ship the products you order with the utmost care to ensure healthy delivery. Shipping and handling charges are calculated based on the tables below. Please note that some items include an additional handling surcharge, these will be noted on the item's product page.

From To S&H
$0 $19.99 $24.99
$20 $49.99 $29.99
$50 $69.99 $34.99
$70 $99.99 $39.99
$100 $129.99 $44.99
$130 $149.99 $48.99
$150 $150+ Approx 28%

Click here to see our full rates

Plant Highlights

Kentucky Coffee Tree highlights at a glance!

Plant Highlights
  • Brand
    Nature Hills' Choice
  • Botanical Name
    Gymnocladus dioicus
  • Growing Zones
    3-8
  • Mature Height
    60 - 75 feet
  • Mature Spread
    40 - 50 feet
  • Sun Exposure
    Full Sun
  • Moisture
    Moderate, Low
  • Soil
    Widely Adaptable
  • Growth Rate
    Fast, Medium
  • Flower Color
    Deciduous
  • Fall Color
    Yellow
  • Pollinator Friendly
    Yes
  • Pollinator Required
    No
  • Bloom Period
    Late Spring

Growing Zones 3-8

Find Your Growing Zone!

Fascinating Native Kentucky Coffee Tree

  • Native Tree
  • Historically Important
  • Excellent Urban Shade Tree
  • Energy Conservation Tree
  • Drought and Pollution Tolerant
  • Hardy Tree
  • Handles Wet or Dry Soils
  • Good Storm and Wind Resistance
  • Narrow Habit
  • Huge, Blue-Green Compound Leaves
  • Large Leaves Fall Early for Easy Fall Clean-Up
  • Casts Dappled Shade
  • Easy to Grow Other Plants Underneath
  • Ornamental Tree with Winter Interest

Every tree is a treasure, and Kentucky Coffee Tree (Gymnocladus dioicus) is no exception. Did you know that ancient mammoths used to feed on the 10 inch long seed pods displayed on the female trees?

Yes, mammoths! Imagine growing an interesting native tree that used to be spread by munching mammoths.

Perhaps you remember playing with the round, brown “coffee beans” as a child. The Native Americans used them in games of chance and for jewelry. Settlers roasted and ground the female seeds as an admittedly poor substitute for coffee.

Kentucky Coffee Tree used to cover a wide swathe of the central and eastern United States. But nowadays, it’s rare. This tree deserves a close look by modern property owners.

These large growing, urban-savvy shade trees have no insect or disease problems. The wood is tough, and displays a remarkable lack of twiggy, fine branches. It withstands storms and pollution.

They are drought tolerant and widely adaptable to many soil types. It thrives in wet soil, or dry.

Female trees bloom star-shaped, greenish-white flowers that cascade from the branches. You’ll love the rich, Rose scent of these tiny blooms.

And the leaves are the largest of all of our native trees. Huge, bipinnately compound leaves can grow up to 3 feet long! They may be comprised of over 100 small “leaflets”.

They add a beautiful, fine-textured charm in the growing season. The young leaves display bronze, but age to a wonderful, dark green with a bluish overcast.

Kentucky Coffee Tree casts a delicious, dappled shade that is very restful, never gloomy. You can grow flowering shrubs, spring-flowering bulbs and perennials underneath without any problem.

The large leaves can develop yellow fall color. They drop all at once in early autumn, which makes for an easy fall cleanup.

Without fine, twiggy branching, the tree displays a wonderfully open growth habit. It forms a narrow silhouette with a rounded crown in the winter landscape.

Furrowed, dark brown bark, and the bare branches make this tree an incredible addition to a winter landscape. Female trees add the unique pods that decorate the bare branches all season.

And you won’t have to worry about these rugged trees. In fact, urban municipalities are turning more and more to the bold charm of the Kentucky Coffee Tree.

After all, they are looking for drought tolerant, strong trees for shade and street use. Watch for them in your local parks and thoroughfares.

For a beautiful tree with unique features and a hardy disposition, the Kentucky Coffee Tree is an excellent choice. Order yours today, and help bring this rare tree back!

How to Use Kentucky Coffee Tree in the Landscape

This tree is wonderful for energy conservation. The large leaves shield your house from the heat of the summer, but fall cleanly and early in autumn. You’ll enjoy every bit of warmth generated by the winter sun.

They make great street trees, with tough wood that withstands storms. Large commercial properties should add this tree, and many other native trees, shrubs and perennials. Advertise your corporate initiatives to generate interest and new business.

Kentucky Coffee Tree (sometimes spelled Kentucky Coffeetree) makes a wonderful delineation between rough woods and manicured landscape. Run a naturalized grouping along the border, and vary the spacing between trees.

Create a grove by planting 3 or 5 of them in a gentle zig-zag planting pattern. Far better to use unequal, isosceles triangles (avoid equilateral triangles) for the most natural look.

Underplant them with Paw Paws, Redbud, Chickasaw Plums or Flowering Dogwood trees. Chokeberry shrubs would make a terrific partner plant. It can be grown near Black Walnut.

Include them in windbreaks and shelterbelts. The large leaves blow and sway in the wind, adding a tropical flair. Think of them as “native Palm trees”, and you’ll get the picture.

Use in low-lying Rain Gardens to filter water runoff from roofs and roads. Or, add them to dry areas that require drought tolerant plants.

If you have a hankering for wildcrafting, please note that the seeds should be roasted, and not eaten raw. Fence in fruiting, female trees, if they are used near livestock.

The reddish-brown wood is rot-resistant and used for fence posts, railway sleepers, cabinets, paneling and fine furniture. It makes good firewood with high heat and low sparks, as well.

#ProPlantTips for Care

Kentucky Coffee Tree prefers moist, rich, well-drained soils. However, it is extremely adaptable to most soils. It becomes very drought tolerant once established.

It is fast-growing while young. Prune to develop a strong structure in winter or early spring. Plant it in full sun for best results.

Enjoy these tough, unusual, interesting, historical native tree! Order your Kentucky Coffee Trees today.

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Customer Reviews

Based on 12 reviews
67%
(8)
33%
(4)
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E
Edwin
Exquisite tree

I recently had to have the two Kentucky Coffee trees removed from in front of my home that had stood there for over 200 years. What a sad day that was. The trees had supposedly come from Monticello. They were at least 125 feet tall, with trunks about 40" in diameter. They are superb shade trees and in the 55 years I have lived here we never had any problems with them such as branches breaking off. That was extremely important since they were only about 20 ft. from the front of my house. But their trunks finally hollowed out and they were becoming too dangerous and sadly they had to go.I definitely will be replacing them with two Kentucky Coffee trees!

Dear Edwin,

Thank you so much for sharing the heartfelt story of your Kentucky Coffee trees. It’s clear that those majestic trees were not only remarkable specimens but also cherished neighbors for many decades. How special that they may have originally come from Monticello—what a living piece of history! We’re truly sorry for the loss you’ve experienced, but we admire your dedication to honoring that legacy by planting two new Kentucky Coffee trees in their place.

Given the size and age of such magnificent trees, understanding their eventual hollowing and risk is so important, especially close to your home. When you’re ready to plant the replacements, we recommend ensuring healthy soil preparation and appropriate spacing to encourage strong, long-lasting growth. Protecting young trees from harsh weather when they’re establishing is crucial, too—things like mulching to retain moisture and monitoring irrigation will help foster a robust foundation.

If you’d like, we’re happy to share additional care tips tailored specifically to Kentucky Coffee trees as yours get settled in, or assist you with selection of saplings that suit your landscape best. We’re rooting for the beautiful, shade-giving companions you’ll create to forever honor those cherished giants.

Wishing you happy planting,
The Nature Hills Plant Experts

K
Kansas4
Outstanding tree

There are several coffee trees on my property. One in the back yard is quite large and old with some hollow areas now. It served as a den tree this year for a wood duck and a red bellied woodpecker. The seeds are round and hard. In "Trees, shrubs and woody vines of Kansas" it states that coffee trees were once common around Kansas farm homes and that children played games with the seeds. It leafs out late in spring, drops leaves fairly early in fall, and has a very nice winter form against the sky. The leaves are compound and small so really no raking is needed - I usually just mulch them with my mower. All around outstanding native tree that should be planted much more.

Dear Kansas4 D.,

Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful experience with your Kentucky Coffee Tree! We truly appreciate the detailed and thoughtful insights you've provided. It’s heartwarming to hear about how this tree not only adds natural beauty throughout the seasons but also creates a habitat for wildlife, like the wood duck and red-bellied woodpecker—what a special connection to witness on your property.

Your mention of the tree’s history around Kansas farm homes and the playful use of its seeds by children adds such a charming, cultural dimension to the story of the Kentucky Coffee Tree. The fact that the tree’s small compound leaves require minimal clean-up is a great tip for others considering planting this native treasure. Mulching with a mower sounds like a wonderfully easy and eco-friendly passer-by—it’s insights like yours that help fellow gardeners enjoy and care for their plants successfully.

If you ever want to deepen your coffee tree’s care—especially with its late leafing and early leaf drop—a good practice is maintaining soil health with compost in early spring and combating potential stress by watering deeply during dry spells. You might also enjoy exploring our resources on supporting native tree wildlife habitats, which could enhance your tree’s role as a garden sanctuary.

Thanks again for your thoughtful review and encouragement for planting more of these majestic trees—it certainly helps Native plants thrive when gardeners like you highlight their worth!

Cultivating beauty together,
Nature Hills – Expert Plant Advice

T
Tree
bigger than advertised

I bought one listed as 3 to 4 feet. Fed Ex dropped off this huge box 5 days later. The tree was over 5 feet. I am thrilled.

Dear Tree hugger,

Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We’re absolutely delighted to hear that your Kentucky Coffee Tree arrived larger than expected and that it has brought you such joy. It’s always a thrill when our customers receive healthy, vibrant plants that truly exceed their expectations.

As your tree continues to grow, remember that Kentucky Coffee Trees thrive in full sun and prefer well-drained soil. Providing deep, consistent watering—especially in the first couple of years after planting—will help establish strong roots. Feel free to check out our growing guide online for additional tips tailored specifically to this species.

If you ever have questions or need extra guidance, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to support you every step of the way.

Wishing you happy planting,
The Nature Hills Plant Experts

T
Tree
bigger than advertised

I bought one listed as 3 to 4 feet. Fed Ex dropped off this huge box 5 days later. The tree was over 5 feet. I am thrilled.

Hello Tree H.,

Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful experience with your Kentucky Coffee Tree! We’re delighted to hear that it arrived even bigger than expected—and thriving after just five days. It’s always our goal to provide plants that bring joy and add value to your garden, so your excitement truly makes our day.

If you’re looking for care tips to help your tree continue to flourish, Kentucky Coffee Trees generally prefer well-draining soil and a spot with plenty of sunlight but some protection from strong afternoon heat, especially in warmer climates. Water it regularly in its first year to help establish deep roots, and by the way, they often develop an interesting, attractive bark and graceful shape over time—so you have a beautiful living feature on your hands!

If any questions come up as your tree settles in, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re always here to help your garden grow with success.

Wishing you happy planting,
The Nature Hills Plant Experts

D
Denny
Shape

I have always like the shape of the Kentucky Coffee tree. It always had a neat uniform look. Way more so than some of the trees I see planted in some yards today.

Hi Denny,

Thank you so much for sharing your appreciation for the Kentucky Coffee Tree’s lovely, uniform shape! We completely agree—its distinct silhouette truly makes it stand out, adding both structure and charm to many landscapes. 

If you’re considering planting one or already have one growing, be sure to provide plenty of room for its graceful, spreading canopy to develop. Kentucky Coffee Trees are also remarkably adaptable and low maintenance, making them a great choice for year-round interest. Should you want tips on best planting practices or care to keep yours looking sharp, we’re always happy to help!

Wishing you happy planting,
The Nature Hills Plant Experts

123
Kentucky Coffee Tree

Kentucky Coffee Tree

From $9925 $12890

Growing Zones

3-8

Mature Height

60 - 75 feet

Mature Spread

40 - 50 feet

Sun

Full Sun

Foliage Color

N/A

Fall Color

Yellow

Flower Color

Deciduous
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Customers rate us 4.7/5 based on 10513 reviews.
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