ky coffeetree

[lumberjenny]

I was wondering if i could get some info on the wood, and I heard it was endangered, are you allowed to cut it.  What is the use for the wood, and what does it look like ???

[crtreedude]

Hi Jenny,

you have come to the right place! Just a few weeks ago we had a pretty good thread on this.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=18678.0

This might answer most of the questions for you.

[Pullinchips]

i have not heard that it is endangered.  Thats a new one to me?   I will look in my old dendro manual to see what characteristics the wood has and its uses, but swamp or someone else will probably beat me to it.  But hey thats good for you right. 

As far as i know if you have it and want to cut it go ahead.

-Nate

[MULE_MAN]

I seen one of those KY coffee tree's in a park in Jeff City  Missouri
yesterday, My daughter had a Birthday party for my grandson there
and they had a sign in front of a tree in the Park,

I though that was kind of a funny name for a tree & then I find this thread
on the F/F today !

Well anyway it was about 50 ft. tall and only about 12" around at the bottom

So i don't know how endangered they are  ???

[Riles]

Can't be that endangered, the Arbor Day Foundation is selling them pretty cheap.

http://www.arbordayfoundation.org/Shopping/Trees/TreeDetail.cfm?ID=133

From windsor plywood:

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.

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.

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").

[SwampDonkey]

You folks 'down there' know more about it than I would. It's one of those species of less significance so we never had it in dendro. I did know it was in the locust family though.  8)

Some of your states may list it as rare or endangered for your area and that may have confused the issue.

[Jeff]

If you are standing in front of a tree with a chainsaw, sizing up where its intended to fall, I would suggest that particular tree is endangered.    I have a couple three endangered Red Oaks on my property.  ;D

[SwampDonkey]

You just can't stand to see them trees standing there when the mill is sitting idle and your in need of some flooring, now can you Jeff? All ya need is a neighbor with a planer/jointer. :D :D ;D

[Jeff]

That was my original plan, but time does not permit.

I do have a friend with a 4 sided planer.  ;D

The trees I am thinkiing about are in the way of some future plans that are only dreams at the moment.

[Pullinchips]

See told ya, leave the post for a day and whola the facts just appear.  Good work Riles now i need not rumage my desk as i would have nothing to add.  I know its a southern tree swamp thats never stopped you before i just figured since your so quick with your dendro manual you would beat us southern boys to the punch like you often do.

-Nate

[Ron Wenrich]

I have 2 in my back yard.  Around here they are mainly ornamental.  Fairly dirty with all the seed pods. 

I went to look at some timber when a guy asked me what kind of tree was in his backyard.  It was a huge coffee tree.  He told me that he was told it was mahogany.  It might be what the old timers used to call it. 

[Riles]

Also from the windsor plywood site:

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.

Looks like somebody can't make up their mind.

[woodbeard]

Add "bean tree" to that list. That's what it is called around here.
I sawed a bunch of it a while back, nice stuff. Some of it had a lot of shake, though.

[SwampDonkey]

Some of the old timers around here call red spruce, black spruce. They talked of sawing some 3 feet on the stump, that was obviously red spruce. I've drove through and walked through tons of wild forest with black spruce and haven't seen too many bigger than 18 inches on the stump. Both species do hybridize.