Beautiful flowering Trees

A catalpa in full flower.

Catalpa flowers resemble very large snapdragons.

Under the canopy the attractive branching structure is revealed.

The incredible flowers of a catalpa never disappoint.

A perfectly shaped catalpa in full flower. Nice.

Flower clusters are huge.

Catalpas look good even without their flowers.

Flowers are held upright in showy clusters.

Flowers and their seed pods.

Heart-shaped leaves grow up to 12 inches long and 8 inches wide.

This ginormous catalpa is part of the impressive tree collection at Riverview arboretum. Click on the pic to be redirected.

Common Name:  Catalpas, cigar tree, Catawba, Indian bean tree  
Botanical Name:  Catalpa speciosa, C. bignonioides
Form:    upright, symmetrical, broad, rounded crown (canopy)
Family:  Bignoniaceae
Genus:  Catalpa
Species:  speciosa, bignonioides
Plant Type: deciduous tree
Mature Size:  40–60 ft (12–18m) x 20–40 ft (6–12m)
Growth: fast
Origin:  C. speciosa: midwestern USA, C. bignonioides: southeastern United States
Hardiness Zone: C. speciosa - 4 to 8, C. bignonioides – 5 to 9
Foliage: light to yellowish green, heart-shaped, broadly oval to round with pointed tips, up to 12” long and 8” wide, dense hairs on leaf undersides
Flowers: large, white snapdragon-like, yellow & purple inside, held in large upright clusters (panicles) up to 10” high
Fruit: 12 – 22-inch-long seedpods that resemble brown cigars at maturity that split lengthwise releasing small black viable seeds
Trunk:  grey-brown, mature trees ridged and fissured
Exposure:  sun to partial shade
Soil: moist, with good drainage
Uses:  specimen, accent, shade tree
Attracts: bees, butterflies,
Propagation:   seeds, cuttings
Pruning:  late winter
​Problems:  brittle branches, powdery mildew, verticillium wilt, twig blight, catalpa sphinx moth, messy seedpods

Comments: 
Catalpas are no shrinking violets. They turn heads when in bloom and are admired for their splendid form when they are not. Catalpas are medium sized deciduous trees with huge flower clusters amid rounded canopies are compiled of large heart shaped leaves.
 
Catalpas are indigenous to the United States. There are two species, Catalpa speciosa, the northern catalapa and C. bignoides, the southern catalapa. Although they look the same, the northern catalpa hales from the Midwest USA.  It’s hardier and bigger than its sibling the southern catalpa that originates from the southeast.
 
Catalpas are known for their bodacious tropical look with their 2-inch ruffled snapdragon-like flowers. The many blossoms sit proudly around a central stem. Flower clusters are huge, up to 10 inches tall. Individual blossoms are white with purple and pink dots inside the flower. Each blossom is beautiful, but they are jaw-droppingly gorgeous when clustered together on upright panicles that pop up all over the tree.
 
Flowering occurs in summer around June and July. The flowers are soon replaced by long green pods that dangle down like brown cigars upon maturity, hence their common name the cigar tree. The pods can reach up to 22 inches in length and each contain numerous viable seeds.
 
Even without it’s magnificent flowers and dangling pods, the catalpa looks pretty darn attractive because of its pleasing rounded canopy. It’s branches stretch like arms embracing the impressive soft green heart-shaped foliage that can grow to 12 inches in length and up to 8 inches wide. In autumn, they turn yellow, providing another season of interest.  Even in winter they still manage to garner attention with their beautifully rounded form and perfect ‘bones’.
 
To grow these magnificent trees, provide them with moist soil with good drainage as their indigenous habitat typically occurs along streams and riverbanks. They don’t like dry, arid conditions. When planting, mix in lots of compost and add a 3-inch layer of an organic mulch to reduce soil evaporation.  
 
To grow them from seeds, collect seed pods when they turn brown. Place the seedpods in the fridge in a paper envelope until spring. Open the pods and bury each seed by ¼ inch in potting soil, water and keep moist. They should germinate in 3 weeks.

​Catalapas are beautifully shaped rounded canopied trees with large clusters of magnificent flowers. This tree has so many attributes that it looks good no matter what time of the year it is. Learn more about this gorgeous tree at The Garden Website. 

Slender seed pods persist into the following year.

There are multiple individual wavy seeds in each seed pod.

Catalpa's fall foliage is a brilliant yellow.

Participants at a tree tour at Riverview Arboretum shows the breadth of a mature catalpa.