Scientific Name:
Catalpa speciosa
Pronunciation:
kuh-TAL-puh spee-see-OH-suh
Common Name:
western catalpa, northern catalpa
Family Name:
Bignoniaceae
Plant Type:
Tree - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Leaves mostly opposite, blades ovate, most 20-30cm long x 10-20cm wide, entire with tomentose undersides, petioles 6-9cm long; florets in white, large, and showy "panicles". Winter ID: fruit to 30cm long, bean-like capsule containing a fringed seed (braoder with ends less tapered with more but shorter hairs than southern catalpa); buds globular, flattened, 1-2mm wide; leaf scars concave, circular, three per node with many bundle scars arranged in a ring.
Habit:
Irregular, Open
Form:
Oval - vertical
Texture:
Coarse
Mature Height:
10 - 15m
Mature Spread:
10 - 15m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
U.S. - central, U.S. - southeast
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 5: (-29 to -23 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Specimen plant
Additional Info:
Google. Compare to southern catalpa.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Opposite, Whorled
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Pubescent
Colour in Fall:
Yellow
Shapes:
Ovate
Apices:
Acuminate
Bases:
Cordate, Truncate
Margins:
Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Thyrse, Panicle-like
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Funnelform
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
White, Yellow, Violet
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Jun, Jul
Additional Info:
Flowers about 2 weeks after C. speciosa
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Showy, Persistent
Bark Morphology:
Plated, Lightly fissured
Bark or Stem Colour:
Grey, Brown
Leaf Bud Type:
Rounded or globular
Leaf Scar Shape:
Round
Propagation:
Seed, Cuttings
Maintenance:
Medium
Other:
Seed capsules and large leaves need raking up. Brittle wood make some branches a hazard with wind or snow. Short lived tree (about 60 years).
Pest Susceptibility:
Fungal leaf spot, Wilt (Drought tolerant)
