Station 15
Botanical Name: Gymnocladus dioicus
Common Name: Kentucky Coffeetree
Major Deciduous Tree
Native Origin: Eastern United States
Height: 65’-80’
Spread: 40’-50’
Form: Broadly Columnar, Picturesque
Flowers: Greenish White
Fruit: Red Brown Pod
Bark: Dark Brown, Rough Texture
Comments: This tree has an interesting history. Early settlers to Kentucky, unable to acquire coffee beans, used the seed from the tree to brew a coffee substitute. What adds interest to the story is that the beans and leaves are poisonous and it is speculated that boiling destroys the toxicity. As mentioned previously, the American Beech blight has had a big affect on the mature tree canopy of the front campus lawn. If you look around you will notice the damage. This row of Kentucky Coffeetrees was planted to replace the beech tree canopy as it slowly becomes a victim of this blight.