Gymnocladus dioicus

(L.) K. Koch.

Kentucky Coffee tree, Chicot

FabaceaeSeeds/NutsSpice/BeveragePotential hazards — see below

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Seeds - coffee, Caution

The fully ripe seeds are roasted and ground as a coffee substitute, requiring roasting for at least 3 hours at 285°C.

Known Hazards

Caution should be used when consuming, as unroasted or only partially roasted beans and pods are considered poisonous and are reputed to contain the alkaloid cytisine. The pods, preserved like those of the tamarind, can be eaten and are slightly aperient (laxative). Many sources claim that roasting the seeds for a certain length of time can reduce or eliminate the cytisine thought to be in them, but this is not based on scientific evidence. There are however, many anecdotal accounts of people drinking a coffee-like drink made from the seeds without suffering any adverse health effects, although most reported the taste to be unpleasant. The plant is toxic to some animals and may intoxicate dogs.

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant. It is native to C. & E. United States. It grows from 90-600 m altitude. It grows best in deep rich soils. It can tolerate severe climates. It can grow in a range of soils. It suits hardiness zones 4-8. Arboretum Tasmania.

Australia, Canada, Central Asia, North America, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Tasmania, USA,

Countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Barbados, Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, St Kitts & Nevis, Kazakhstan, St Lucia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Slovenia, El Salvador, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Trinidad & Tobago, United States, Uzbekistan, St Vincent

How to Identify

A tree. It grows to 21 m high and 15 m wide. The trunk can be 60 cm across. It loses its leaves for much of the year. The leaves are large and compound. They are 1 m long. Young leaves are pinkish bronze. The leaf is made up of about 70 leaflets on 3-7 pairs of branches. The leaflets are oval and 5 cm long. The flowers are small, greenish-white and star shaped. They have a scent. They occur as many branched clusters at the ends of branches. The plants are separately male and female. They are pollinated by insects. Female plants produce fruit as reddish brown pods which hang down. The pods can be 25 cm long. The husk is hard and leathery. The seeds are about 2 cm long and slightly flattened. There are only a few seeds in each pod. They are in a sticky sweet pulp. The seeds have been roasted and ground as coffee.

How to Grow

Plants are grown from seed. The tough seed coat must be broken to allow water to enter before seed can germinate. It can also be grown from shoots from the roots.

Production

It is slow growing. Trees can live for 75 years.

Notes

There are only 2 Gymnocladus species. Also as Caesalpinaceae.

Names & Synonyms

Rogovilar

References (17)

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