Description

Catalpa bignonioides, Southern Catalpa, 12-18 Wholesale Native Bare Root Trees

Catalpa bignonioides Walter
Southern Catalpa, Cigar Tree, Indian Bean
Bignoniaceae (Trumpet-Creeper Family)
Synonym(s): Catalpa catalpa
USDA Symbol: cabi8
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (I)
The catalpa tree reaches 25-40 ft. in height with an equal or greater spread. Short, crooked branches form a broad, irregular crown. Its heart-shaped leaves have prominent veins and are 6-12 inches long and half as wide. The petiole is almost as long as the leaf. Deciduous leaves are large, light-green and smooth. The flowers are in clusters of 10-20, each blossom on a short stem. They are white, 2-lipped, united at the base, opening into 5 ruffled, petal-like lobes; each flower is about 2 inches across. In the throat there are 2 large yellow spots and several smaller ones, several small purple stripes, and a number of tiny purple spots. Fruit a cigarlike pod.

The name Catalpa is a Muskogean name for the tree, while the specific name refers to a related vine with flowers of similar shape: Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata). Planted as a shade tree and an ornamental for the abundant showy flowers, cigar-like pods, and coarse foliage.

Plant Characteristics
Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Arrangement: Opposite , Whorled
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Shape: Ovate
Leaf Base: Cordate
Leaf Texture: Smooth
Breeding System: Flowers Bisexual
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Tree up to 40 feet tall, with a broadly rounded crown.
Leaf: Opposite or whorled, ovate, short-pointed at the tip, heart-shaped at the base, without teeth, smooth on the upper surface, paler and finely hairy on the lower surface, up to 8 inches long, nearly as broad.
Flower: Large, showy, several in a large cluster.
Fruit: Capsules long and slender, up to 18 inches long, up to 1/2 inch broad, containing many seeds; seeds in pairs, winged, with a tuft of hair at the tip of each wing.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: White
Bloom Time: May , Jun
Distribution
USA: AL , AR , AZ , CA , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MO , MS , NC , ND , NJ , NY , OH , OK , OR , PA , RI , SC , TN , TX , UT , VA , VT , WV
Native Distribution: Gulf Coast from n. FL to e. MS; widely naturalized elsewhere
Native Habitat: Stream banks; wetlands; low woodlands
Growing Conditions
Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Wet
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium
Soil Description: Wet to moist soils.
Conditions Comments: Some landowners and designers consider this nearly indestructible tree a nuisance because the leaves smell bad when crushed, flowers litter the ground with decaying petals after a too-brief appearance, and root suckers can create a problem. A particular green & black striped caterpillar can completely defoliate southern catalpa trees, but the trees recover, growing new set of leaves withing a month.
Benefit
Use Ornamental: The tree is cultivated as an ornamental but has long since escaped cultivation.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Interesting Foliage: yes
Value to Beneficial Insects
Special Value to Honey Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.