 Name:
"Catalpa" is said to be a mispronunciation of
'Catawba', the name of a first nation American tribe, in whose
territory botanists first recorded the tree.
Beans refer to the long pencil-like seed pods, which can be 20-40
cm long and tend to remain on the tree in winter.
'Bignonioides' refers to the fact that the leaves resemble those
of the trumpet-vine Bignonia.Cultivation:
In the USA this tree is native from Georgia to Florida
and Mississippi. It can grow up to 65 feet with a handsome
spreading dome. In the UK it will only grow large in favourable
positions with plenty of sun and/or warmth, for example in the
more southern cities, like London or Bath and its fruit seldom
ripens here. The large heart-shaped leaves (up 25 cm) only appear
late in June and so this is probably the last tree to unfold its
buds. In the autumn the leaves fall early and have no autumn
colour. They give off a disagreeable odour when crushed.The
Catalpa flowers in midsummer and the groups of brown seedpods
often still hang on the tree in winter.
The flowers are bisexual. Propagation is from seed or hardwood
cuttings. The tree will grow well in most well-draining soils and
grows fast when young. Autumn frosts can cut back growth. Trees
often may start to decay when they are a 100 years old, by which
time it may have grown a considerable bole.
In the USA the tree is subject to
leaf-spot.
Other species:
- Catalpa speciosa -
Western Catalpa. A larger tree (up to 100 ft) from Central
USA, which produces timber which has the reputation of being
able to lie for a century on wet ground without rotting.
- Catalpa ovata -
Yellow Catalpa. A native of China with yellow flowers and
dark green leaves, which are usually 3-lobed.
- Catalpa fargesii -
Farge's Catalpa. Native of China. Slender, upright tree up
to about 15 m high, fissured bark and smaller, more narrow
ovate leaves.
- Catalpa x eubescens
or Catalpa x hybrida - Hybrid Catalpa. This is a
cross between the Chinese C.ovata and the American C.
bignonioides. Up to 30 ft high. Leaves are purplish when
unfolding and can be ovallish, 3-lobed and whole on the same
tree. Bark is deeply fissured. The white tinged yellow and
spotted purple flowers are fragrant and bloom from early
August to early September and are more numerous than on C.
bignonioides.
Note from webmother to
page visitors:
Many of these pages are still bare bones. Whenever time allows, we
will continue to add information to the Tree Gallery until all the
trees have descriptions of their habitat, characteristics,
cultivation, uses and anything else of interest. Why not get involved with enhancing this web resource by sending
photographs of trees, bark, details of branches, leaves, flowers, seed
and fruit in all seasons (Good use of all these new digital cameras!). Email us if you
are keen to know more about a particular tree and we will do our
best to complete that one next.
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