Kentucky Coffee-tree

Ecology & Conservation

Proximity Score

2

Native Status

❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ✅ ON

Closest Direction

SE

CEC Eco-Regions

8 – Eastern Temperate Forests, 8.1 – Mixed Wood Plains, 8.1.7 – Northeastern Coastal Zone

Rarity Notes

Listed as Threatened on SARA Schedule 1 (listed June 2003) and COSEWIC-assessed as Threatened. NatureServe global rank G5 but nationally N2 in Canada, confined to southern Ontario where it is ranked S2 (Imperiled). IUCN status Vulnerable. In Ontario, populations are scattered and often consist of clonal clusters with limited genetic diversity; the species' inability to disperse seeds effectively limits colonization of new sites.

S26 SARA Threatened, Schedule 1, listed 2003; S22 G5, N2 Canada, S2 ON, IUCN VU, COSEWIC Threatened; S10 scattered individuals

Rarity Ranks

QC SNA – Not Applicable, ON S2 – Imperiled

Migration

Stable

Ecological Context

Kentucky coffee-tree is a scattered, uncommon component of rich mesic and floodplain forests in southern Ontario and the midwestern United States. It typically occurs as isolated individuals or small groups within deciduous woodlands dominated by oaks, hickories, and elms, never as a canopy dominant. In Michigan it is strongly associated with major river systems (Clinton, Grand, Huron). Its current rarity may partly reflect the loss of Pleistocene megafauna dispersers; today it reproduces mainly by root suckers rather than seed.

S7 rich mesic and floodplain forests, associated with river systems; S10 scattered individuals or small colonies, never dominant; S7 megafauna dispersal hypothesis

Permaculture & Companion Planting

Roles

Fire Retardant, Fortress/Barrier, Nitrogen Fixer

S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fire Retardant: S73 [HIGH]: S11 Fire Resistant = Yes (definitional)] | Fortress/Barrier: S10 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only); S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Nitrogen Fixer: S73 [HIGH]: S11 classified (S53 no signal, not contradictory)]

Notes

As a nitrogen-fixing legume tree with light, filtered shade, Kentucky coffee-tree is well suited as a canopy companion in diverse plantings. Its open crown and late leaf emergence allow ample spring light for understory species. Tolerant of juglone, it pairs well with Juglans nigra in mixed hardwood guilds. Natural associates in floodplain forests include hackberry, green ash, box elder, and American elm.

S11 N-fixation=Low; S4 light filtered shade; S7 natural associates; S3 juglone tolerant

Medicinal Properties

ℹ

Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.

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Category

Laxative, Stimulant, Hemostat, Analgesic, Gynecological Aid, Kidney Aid, Tonic, Dietary Aid, Psychological Aid

S28 Moerman categories from 17 drug/medicine uses

Notes

Extensively used by Plains and Woodlands peoples. The Dakota, Omaha, Ponca, Winnebago, and Oto used root infusions as an enema for constipation. Pulverized root bark was employed as snuff to stimulate sneezing in comatose patients (Dakota, Omaha, Pawnee, Ponca, Winnebago). Omaha healers used root bark for hemorrhages during childbirth and kidney complaints, and bark as a tonic and appetizer. The Meskwaki used pod wax to treat mental illness. Pawnee used pulverized pods sniffed for headache relief.

S28 detailed ethnobotanical uses across 7 nations

Edibility & Foraging

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Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.

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✅ Edible   

Foraging Notes

Seeds were roasted and eaten like chestnuts by the Pawnee, Meskwaki, and Winnebago. The Meskwaki also roasted and ground the seeds to brew a coffee-like beverage. Raw seeds are toxic and must be thoroughly roasted before consumption. Early European settlers similarly used roasted seeds as a coffee substitute, giving the tree its common name.

S28 Pawnee, Meskwaki, Winnebago food uses; S10 roasted seeds as coffee substitute; S61 poisonous unless roasted

Toxicity

☠️ High Toxicity

USDA rates toxicity as severe. The alkaloid cytisine is present in seeds, pods, and leaves. Raw seeds and pod pulp are poisonous to humans and livestock; cattle have been fatally poisoned by drinking water from ponds where leaves and seedpods had fallen. Thorough roasting destroys the toxin in seeds, rendering them edible. The leaves are also toxic to mammalian herbivores, which generally avoid the tree.

S11 Toxicity=Severe; S10 cattle fatally poisoned from contaminated water; S61 poisonous unless roasted; S3 toxic to mammals if ingested

Seed Source

• Mount Royal Seeds
• Ferri Seeds
• Arboquebecium