Tree of the year!

2006 Pride of Kansas-Kansas Nursery and Landscape Association has selected Kentucky Coffeetree,Gymnocladus dioicus.This large tree,native to eastern Kansas,makes an excellent shade tree with its open canopy,which allows air-movement.The tree is pH tolerant,adapts to a wide range of soils and withstands drought.....go Jayhawks!!......Dave...

Yeah, the Jayhawks made a wise choice. I guess they must have forgotten the old legend about the state tree of Kansas being the telephone pole . . .
Hee-hee-hee!

Guy S.

hahahahahah!!!!

The Jayhawks have seen the error of their (basketball) ways, and wisely selected the Kentucky coffee tree for well-deserved acclaim. The home of the Wildcats humbly thanks you.

Just returned from IL, where notable specimens of Gymnocladus dioicus are prominently placed. Great plant; use it more often.

Tee he, I've from Illinois and I've got some notable specimans with one being a very recent addition. Three planted here were a direct result of my propagation while one was purchased from Oikos Tree Farms and one was a gift that will go in the ground as soon as possible. Kentucky Coffee Tree is an absolutely outsanding plant that is actually in its native range for the State of Illinois if anyone is interested in that type of thing.

When will some state acknowledge that the American Yellowwood is right up there with the KCT?

The Jayhawks,the Wildcats,and the "plant".....great roots!!!!!!!!!hahahaha!Hi,VV!!I greatly enjoy you and Guy's posts!Also got a kick out of your wine pic.....great shot!I have a good friend here that makes elder-berry wine and had a proof of 17%(200 gals)....this stuff makes us very tall at round-ball time!.....take care....Dave.....

oops.....tripped over Lauren......lol! hiya!Yellowwood!

Didn't Kentucky and Kansas play earlier this year? ;) I agree it's nice that KCT is getting the respect and notoriety it deserves. I was told by a nursery manager that its awkwardness in youth makes it very difficult to market to the general public. I find it odd that Kentuckians have opted for Tulip Poplar as their state tree instead of the namesake Coffee Tree.

Hi,Maackia!Yes,they did!Very interesting that Kentucky chose that tree!I can say that the KCT is highly adaptable here,plus,it is a very interesting looking winter beauty,too!.....Dave......

MaackTruckia:

I don't recall that. UK flew out to Lawrence and watched a fine game in which Kansas played.

You might say I live in Vacillation Valley. This state has had Liriodendron tulipifera as the state tree for a long time historically. It danced around with changing to Gymnocladus dioicus, maybe a decade ago, but went back to Liriodendron tulipifera most likely because of its status as a significant forest tree, lumber product, and wider distribution across the state.

Hi Dave! Is that tall, or high?

I have a few vintages of your state's fine products here. I'm still trying to decide what meal to pair them with. I'll post pics later, since things aren't running too smoothly at the moment.

VV......yes......KCT can be 100ft tall and high........I watched a Ms Judd,as I recall,when UK flew in,to watch Kansas play......roasted pork,with the wine?......hoping your more smoother........ Dave......

Hey, can't you b-ball homies wait until March; if you are not careful you'll be waking some denizen of tobacco road and then we'll all never hear the end of it.

hahahahahah(spit)hahahaha!

There's something about blue uniforms that just gets us undone. And we're right proud of our spittin' here, too.

Now, if I can just post the KCT picture...

Well, shucky dern, it finally went through.

Going for broke: this one's for you, Dave, though not quite 17%. I'll try that roast pork idea.

VV....that is a beautiful shot!The buildings are very interesting,too!Is that native stone to the right of the tree?Also,referring to the left side branch,that is fantastic!That shape reminds me of the two ancient Catalpa trees that are dropping every one of their 16 inch bean pods into my backyard and gutters as I type this,from 75 ft away,during a 20 mile an hour wind and freezing rain event here!Ahhhhh,Purple Passion! Another great pic!Im going to use that one as a screen-saver here when we have the KU-K-State game party in March!Thanks,again!.....(want some of my neighbor's bean pods?)lol!!!!!......Dave......

VV,
That's one darn-tootin' nice KCT! Any idea of the age of that tree?

I planted a KCT in my front yard last summer and I am waiting to see how it fairs this winter. I planted a Prairie Titan™ Coffeetree from Klehm's a couple of years ago and the tree wasn't hardy here on the northern edge of zone 4a. I wanted a male tree, so I wouldn't be bothered by the pod litter, but now I really don't care as long as I can find one that won't die-back.
Mike

Daydreamer:

Yeah, this is one at my summer place. Just kinda threw it down there.

Freeloader:

I've got several Gymnocladus dioicus Prairie Titan™ in the yard, motoring happily along. Sorry to hear that one won't make it at your place. Beaver Creek/Klehm's is field-growing a world of KCT from sourced seed at their nursery on the IL-WI border. I bet you could get a male selected out of the blocks planted there, since the pods are already being set on the females. Just toured through there yesterday and they were sure looking nice. Apparently, they sell tons of them to Chicago for street trees.

Maybe Declension took a shot of the label with the date on it. I didn't even look. Here's another view.

No, I didn't get that shot at the Morton. I was too busy creating a distraction so that VV could get the best angle on HIS picture by climbing up a venerable Pinus tabulaeformis. Cleverly, I threw an absolute tantrum about a Callery Pear growing near the parking lot. Morton staff running around like crazy. Once I saw VV get his picture, I calmed down and accepted their explanation that the Callery Pear was actually an Acer davidii subs. grosseri. What's a few dirty looks in the cause of art?

Scott

Now, Decelerator, I think that's the IL whisky talking. The Pyrus calleryana you are remembering was smack dab in the middle of Equivocator's yard.

She was trialing stock plants of superior provenance so that she could replace all the natives she was eradicating from her yard. She didn't want GuineaPig to get ahead of her with his F¹ series crosses of Albizia julibrissin Blushing Bride™ with Ailanthus altissima Just Desserts™.

What you saw (through your foggy haze) was that borer-immune, white-as-bleached-jockey-shorts pendulous selection called Betula x Renaissance Re...uh...De...oh, um never mind™.

Pretty frisky now that they are back on home turf.

Thanks, Vasectomy Vagabond,
Maybe I'll check with Beaver Creek/Klehm's this spring to see if they'll sell me one. I may be going to the Upper Midwest Roundup this spring so I wouldn't be too far from them.
Thanks,
TL3