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Catalpa speciosa

Northern Catalpa, Western Catalpa

Pronunciation
ka-TAL-pa spe-si-O-sa
Family
Genus
Nativity

Eastern US, Illinois and Indiana, south to Tennessee and Arkansas

Growth Habit

Upright oval tree. Medium to fast growth rate. Coarse textured in the winter landscape.

Hardiness
5
Culture

Quite adaptable plant. Tolerates variety of soil conditions: wet to dry, acid to alkaline. Grows in sun or part shade. Good for very hot, dry sites, city conditions.

Facultative Status
Facultative
Landscape Use

Upright tree grown for the large, white, 2 inch flowers borne in 8 inch panicles. Very attractive in June. This tree has several problems such as weak wood, persistent fruit and unsightly appearance in late summer, fall

Foliage

Bright green in summer: Yellow-brown fall color.

Buds

Buds are imbricately scaled and small, brown in color. Buds located above large, round, craterlike leaf scars.

Bark

Grayish brown, ridged and furrowed.

Flower

White outside, pink tinged, with yellow spots on lower corolla lip, and purple spots.

Fruit

Green in summer. Capsule, 8 to 20 inches long and .5 inch wide cigar-like. Dark-brown fruit contains fringed seed and persists through winter. :Brown through fall and winter

Propagation

Seeds, root cutting.

Pests
Leaf spots, mildew, Verticillium wilt.
Cultivars

Related Species: C. bignonioides identical to above with the following exceptions: Smaller (30'-40'), slightly less hardy, smaller fruit and fringe on seeds is tufted.

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