The genus Gymnocladus is represented by four species native to North America [1] and Asia [3]. The word gymnocladus comes from the Greek—naked branch—referring to the few stout twigs, which are conspicuous year round. The word dioicus relates to dioecious, meaning there are male and female trees.
Other Common Names: American coffee bean, American mahogany, chicot, chico du Canada, chicot tree, coffeebean, coffeebean-tree, coffeenut, coffeetree, dead tree, geweihbaum, Kentucky mahogany, mahogany, mahogany-bean, nettle-tree, nicker-tree, stump tree.
Distribution: From central New York and southern Ontario west to southern Michigan, Minnesota and South Dakota south to central Kansas, southern Oklahoma east to Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia and Pennsylvania.
The Tree: The Kentucky coffeetree is medium size,
reaching 100 ft (30 m) tall and 3 ft
(1 m) in diameter. The trunk commonly divides into 3 or 4 stems,
about 15 ft (4.5 m) from the ground. The tree has deciduous leaves
that are bipinnately compound. It produces white to lavvelox flowers
in large clusters (terminal racemes). The tree produces bean-like
pods that are hard and woody when mature and contain several seeds
surrounded in sweet, greenish pulp. It grows in deep rich soils
in bottom lands, in association with sweetgum, tupelo, oaks and
hickories. For about 6 months of the year, the tree lies dormant,
leading to the name Dead Tree or Stump Tree.
General Wood Characteristics: The wood of Kentucky coffeetree is ring porous, resembling ash, honeylocust or sassafras. Its sapwood is narrow and yellowish white, while the heartwood is light red to reddish brown. The wood has no characteristic odor or taste. It is hard and heavy, with a coarse, straight grain.
Weighta
Weight
Moisture Specific lb/ft3 kg/m3
content gravity
Green 0.53 NA NA
12% 0.60 42 673
Ovendry 0.68 NA NA
aReference (90).
Mechanical propertiesa
Property Green Dry
MOE 1.00 106 6.895 GPa 1.42 106 9.791 GPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
MOR 7.32 103 50.471 MPa 10.5 103 72.398 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C| | 3.36 103 23.167 MPa 6.60 103 45.507 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C 0.87 103 5.999 MPa 1.47 103 10.136 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
WML NA NA NA NA
Hardness 1,080 lbf 4,803.84 N 1,390 lbf 6,182.72 N
Shear| | 1.36 103 9.377 MPa 1.78 103 12.273 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
aReference (90).
Drying and shrinkagea
Percentage of shrinkage
(green to final moisture
content)
Type of 0% MC 6% MC 20% MC
shrinkage
Tangential 7.6 5.9 2.4
Radial 4.1 3.3 1.2
Volumetric 11.9 9.6 4.0
aReference (90).
Working Properties: Kentucky coffeetree works without difficulty and finishes to a smooth surface.
Durability: Very resistant to heartwood decay, especially in contact with the soil.
Preservation: No information available at this time.
Uses: Cabinets, railroad ties, fence posts and rails, general construction, railway sleepers, bridge timbers, sills, interior finish, fuel. The seeds were used by the pioneers as a coffee substitute (“coffeetree”).
Toxicity: No information available at this time.
Additional Reading: 29, 55, 68, 74. 55, 66, 68, 74, 79. 28, 29, 42, 43, 44, 48, 50, 55, 56, 68, 72, 73, 74, 79, 92, 97, 102. 74, 75, 77, 99, 106. 101.