= Water twice per month or less, once established.
= Water about once per week, once established.
= Water about twice per week, once established.
= Water three days per week, or more.
Use the plant water needs as a guideline. Actual plant water needs will vary for several reasons, including weather conditions, soil type, sun exposure, root depth, wind and elevation. Adjust your watering schedule as needed to meet the plants' needs at your site. Water recent transplants more often than established plants.
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Gymnocladus dioicus
low
yellow-green
early summer
40 to 50 ft.
40 to 50 ft.
No
central and eastern North America
sun
USDA zones 3-8
hardy to 7,500 ft.
Kentucky Coffeetree is a large tree with large, compound leaves. The canopy is broad and round when the tree is mature, making it a decent shade tree.
Male trees have smaller 4-inch flowers, while female trees have larger, showier and more fragrant clusters of flowers - up to 12 inches long. The flowers transform into a brown bean-shaped pod that will persist into winter after all the leaves have fallen.
In fall, the leaves turn bright yellow. The bark is brown and heavily textured with ridges and furrows.
Kentucky coffeetree is a fabulous low water, large shade tree for the Colorado Springs area.
There are two Kentucky coffeetrees growing at the Xeriscape Demonstration Garden, one at the Mesa Garden and another at the Cottonwood Creek Garden. They have become a nice shade trees over the years, and have a particularly interesting shape and structure in the winter.
The trees have not flowered much, but their drought tolerance and nice leaves make them great trees anyway.
Prune when young to develop a structurally strong tree when mature.
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