The Kentucky Coffeetree, Gymnocladus dioicus, is a tree in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae of the pea family Fabaceae, native to the midwest of North America. The seed may be roasted and used as a substitute for coffee beans; however, unroasted pods and seeds are toxic. The wood from the tree is used by cabinetmakers and carpenters.
From 1976 to 1994 the Kentucky coffeetree was the state tree of Kentucky, after which the tulip poplar was returned to that designation.
Read more about Kentucky Coffeetree: Description, Taxonomy, Distribution
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“The head must bow, and the back will have to bend,
Wherever the darkey may go;
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In the field where the sugar-canes grow.
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—Stephen Collins Foster (1826–1884)