Kentucky coffeetree
General poisoning notes:
Kentucky coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus) is a tree that is occasionally planted as an ornamental in the warmer parts of Canada. The seeds and fruit pulp of this tree have poisoned humans and cattle. The foliage has caused the death of sheep in Maryland (Reynard and Norton 1942, Lampe and McCann 1985).
Nomenclature:
Scientific Name: Gymnocladus dioicus (L.) K. Koch
Vernacular name(s): Kentucky coffeetree
Scientific family name: Leguminosae
Vernacular family name: pea
Gymnocladus dioicus (L.) K. Koch
Geographic Information
Plant or plant parts used in or around the home.
Notes on Poisonous plant parts:
The seeds contain a low concentration of the alkaloid cytisine, and chewing one or two seeds would not be enough to produce toxic results. This tree is an ornamental that survives and produces seeds in the warmer parts of the country; it grows successfully in Ottawa. In feeding experiments the foliage has proved to be toxic to sheep and the seeds to cattle (Reynard and Norton 1942, Lampe and McCann 1985).
Toxic parts:
Leaves, seeds.
Toxic plant chemicals:
Cytisine
Cytisine
Animals/Human Poisoning:
Note: When an animal is listed without additional information, the literature (as of 1993) contained no detailed explanation.
Cattle
General symptoms of poisoning:
Lungs, congestion of
Notes on poisoning:
Experimental feeding of seeds to cattle has caused congestion of the lungs and the fourth stomach (Reynard and Norton 1942).
Humans
General symptoms of poisoning:
Coma, diarrhea, gastroenteritis, nausea, sweating.
Sheep
General symptoms of poisoning:
Death
Notes on poisoning:
In one case in Maryland, 11 sheep died within 24 h of ingesting fresh cuttings from the Kentucky coffeetree (Hill and Duke 1985).
