Scientific Name: Gymnocladus dioicus
Common Name: Kentucky Coffee tree Angiosperm or Gymnosperm: Angiosperm Natural Habitat: It grows in moist soils in bottom-land woods or rocky open wooded hillsides with other hardwood trees. It is native to the central states of America from Pennsylvania to Nebraska and from Minnesota to Oklahoma. Leaf Pattern: Very large (1 to 3 feet long), with numerous 1 1/2 to 2 inch ovate leaflets, entire margins, green above, slightly paler below. Germination Process: There are several cultivars of Kentucky coffeetree that are available in the nursery trade. They include selections that are predominantly male and do not produce fruit. These are preferred as street trees because the large pods can make a mess in early spring when they are shed from the trees in large numbers. Male selections include ‘Espresso.’ Animals and Plants in Area: Few animals or birds eat Kentucky coffee beans. Bark: Dark grayish brown, scaly, developing deep fissures with scaly ridges. Size: Medium sized tree, with a wide spreading crown, 80 feet tall, 2 feet in diameter. Ethnobotany (Human Use): Native Americans introduced the tree to some parts of the continent as they used the pulp from the wood to treat insanity. The pulp was also used in home remedies to combat fever and treat headaches. The Omahas mixed the bark of Kentucky coffee tree and gay feather with a portion of buffalo-gourd and used it as an appetizer and tonic. A tea was also made from the leaves and pulp and used as a laxative. Certain Indian tribes reportedly roasted the beans (seeds) for food. Early settlers used the beans of the tree as a substitute for coffee. CAUTION! The seeds and pods are poisonous. It can be destroyed by thoroughly heating the beans for at least three hours at 150˚C. The beans contain saponins, which are more toxic to fish than to other animals. Hunting tribes traditionally put large quantities of the beans in streams and lakes to numb or kill fish. The Kentucky coffee tree is resistant to disease and able to adapt to a wide variety of soils and climates. It is an excellent choice for parks and golf courses. It is also widely used as decorative and street trees. Creative Essay: “Coffee tree” Each year the life of a tree spreads universally and extensively Sunlight gleaming through branches and leaves Growing and spreading broadly and widely Providing shelter Giving life Sharing secrets; Pioneers drying beans and using it as a coffee substitute, Native Americans using tree’s pulp to make treatment for insanity Life to use brittle timber for fence posts To use wood to construct sleeper cars Each year its life is evident Through each season Season after season For each year of its life A tree has ongoing stories Summarize Research: Kentucky Coffee Tree is really unique because its uses includes cabinetry, custom furniture, railroad ties, interior finish, fence posts and rails, general construction, railway sleepers, bridge timbers, sills and fuel, but its claim to fame dates back to pioneer times. (Kaiser, J.) This tree is also known as coffeebean and coffeenut because early settlers roasted the beans from the trees to make “coffee.” During winter, when it is young, this tree becomes more shapely and majestic within age. Its dark green, foot long leaves, each with as many as a hundred inch long leaflets, provide filtering shade. The gray bark is interesting, and so are the 5-6 inch wallet-like fruits of female trees. Growth is relatively slow, but the tree lives for a long time and it is distinctive. (Flint, H. L.) These trees are native from New York to Nebraska and south to Arkansas and Florida. There are three central arguments that underlie much of the growing body of academic literature on fair trade production, marketing and consumption. First, fair trade consumption is motivated by political choices and reflexivity of Northern consumers; second, fair trade consumption defeats coffee by revealing the social and environmental conditions of production; and third, fair trade forges equitable and participatory trade relationships. (Lyon, S.) |
Kentucky Coffee Tree, #9
Leaves of Kentucky Coffee Tree
Bark of Kentucky Coffee Tree
Trunk of Kentucky Coffee Tree
Seeds of Kentucky Coffee Tree
Full view of Kentucky Coffee Tree
Canopy of Kentucky Coffee Tree
Seed of Kentucky Coffee Tree
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References from Current Research:
Kaiser, J. (2007). SAW IT, DON'T DRINK IT. Wood & Wood Products, 112(6), 52.
Flint, H. L. (2006). Alternatives to ASH. American Nurseryman, 203(12), 14.
Lyon, S. (2006). Evaluating fair trade consumption: politics, defetishization and producer participation. International Journal Of Consumer Studies, 30(5), 452-464. doi:10.1111/j.1470-6431.2006.00530.x
Kaiser, J. (2007). SAW IT, DON'T DRINK IT. Wood & Wood Products, 112(6), 52.
Flint, H. L. (2006). Alternatives to ASH. American Nurseryman, 203(12), 14.
Lyon, S. (2006). Evaluating fair trade consumption: politics, defetishization and producer participation. International Journal Of Consumer Studies, 30(5), 452-464. doi:10.1111/j.1470-6431.2006.00530.x