Tree · Fabaceae

Kentucky coffeetree

Gymnocladus dioicus

Kentucky coffeetree is recorded as native to 24 states and territories in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in 582 counties of those states by USDA PLANTS.

Recorded native ranges can include long-established populations that spread from gardens; check your state’s native plant society list for local guidance. How native status is decided.

Key facts · USDA PLANTS

Kentucky coffeetree at a glance

Native in: 582 counties, across 24 states and territories
Estimated cold hardiness: Zone 4a PLANTS minimum temperature −32°F
Mature height: 100 ft PLANTS mature height
Light and water: Full sun (shade-intolerant) Medium water use

Estimated cold hardiness: zone 4a. PLANTS gives a minimum temperature of −32°F; zone 4a winters bottom out at −30°F, the coldest half-zone that stays within that limit.

Counties where it is native

The 15 counties with the most ZIP codes among the 582 where it is listed.

Native counties by state

Arkansas 35 counties
Connecticut statewide record
Illinois 69 counties
Indiana 49 counties
Iowa 13 counties
Kansas 53 counties
Kentucky 66 counties
Maryland 4 counties
Massachusetts 1 county
Michigan 11 counties
Minnesota 12 counties
Mississippi 3 counties
Missouri 91 counties
Nebraska 11 counties
New York 14 counties
Ohio 55 counties
Oklahoma 20 counties
Pennsylvania 17 counties
South Dakota 3 counties
Tennessee 21 counties
Texas 2 counties
Virginia 5 counties
West Virginia 13 counties
Wisconsin 14 counties

Growing traits

Values from the PLANTS characteristics record. “Not recorded” means PLANTS has no value; nothing here is estimated except the zone.

Growth

Growth habit: Tree
Duration: Perennial
Mature height: 100 ft
Growth rate: Slow
Growth form: Not recorded
Shape: Rounded
Lifespan: Long
Active growth period: Spring and Summer

Light and water

Shade tolerance: Intolerant (full sun (shade-intolerant))
Moisture use: Medium water use
Drought tolerance: Medium
Tolerance of waterlogged soil: None
Precipitation range: Not recorded

Soil

Soil textures: Coarse, medium and fine
pH range: 6 to 8
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: Not recorded
Salinity tolerance: Medium
Fertility requirement: Low
Minimum root depth: 36 in

Climate

Minimum temperature: −32°F
Estimated cold hardiness: Zone 4a and warmer
Minimum frost-free days: Not recorded
Fire tolerance: Low

Flowers, leaves and fruit

Flower color: White
Showy flowers: Yes
Bloom period: Early Summer
Foliage color: Green
Showy in fall: No
Keeps leaves: No
Fruit color: Green

Other

Toxicity: Severe
Nitrogen fixation: Low
Nursery availability: Field Collections Only
Family: Fabaceae
PLANTS symbol: GYDI

Source & data date

Source: USDA NRCS PLANTS Database: county distribution records, native status and plant characteristics. CC0 (public domain dedication, per the data.gov catalog record).; Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP): native or introduced status by state. CC BY 3.0.; USGS US-RIIS (ver. 2.0): species listed as introduced are excluded. CC0.
Citation: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (https://plants.usda.gov, 11/04/2026). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA.; Govaerts R. (ed.) (2026). WCVP: World Checklist of Vascular Plants. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Data file dated 2026-06-04, http://sftp.kew.org/pub/data-repositories/WCVP/ (retrieved 2026-11-04). Paper: Govaerts R. et al. (2021) The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. Scientific Data 8, 215.
Data date: Retrieved from PLANTS on November 4, 2026; WCVP data file dated June 4, 2026.
Scope: Gymnocladus dioicus (PLANTS symbol GYDI).
Method: A species is listed when it is recorded as native to the state in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in the county by USDA PLANTS. Species PLANTS labels both native and introduced are listed separately. Full method · All sources

Independent reference site. No government affiliation or endorsement.