A Settler's Bitter Alternative Traditional Cache

'This Treerific Geocache Series highlights London's trees and forest ecosystems
The Kentucky Coffee tree is a native but rare tree in southwestern Ontario, and tolerant of urban conditions. The main threats to Kentucky Coffee tree in Ontario are wetland drainage and deforestation. It has the largest leaves of any native tree, reaching up to 90cm and composed of about 70 leaflets on 3 to 7 pairs of pinna from a single central stalk. The name Gymnocladus is Greek for "naked branch" and refers to the fact that the Kentucky coffee tree is leafless for more than half the year, looking like a big stick in the ground. The leaves that eventually cover the tree in late spring and summer, are enormous and well-worth the wait! While the seeds and husks are bitter and seldom eaten by wildlife, it is said that roasted seeds from this tree were used by early settlers as a replacement for coffee beans. However, because of the toxic properties found in the seeds, this practice is not recommended.