PlantFiles: Northern Catalpa, Western Catalpa, Western Catawba, Indian Cigar Tree, Fish-Bait Tree
Catalpa speciosa

I have been calling nurseries this morning in search of this tree. Much to my disappointment, nobody carries them due to lack of request for the N. Catalpa. Here is my issue, I live in Salt Lake which is a pretty non-hospitable environment for many trees (especially native eastern). It is quite easy to discover which species do best here by taking note of trees more than one foot in trunk diameter which are still alive. N. Catalpas not only survive and thrive here, but many are mature specimens and have gorgeous branching patterns. I will try to post a picture of one located in my neighborhood which is quite possibly one of the most beautiful trees I've seen! Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!!! These are legacy trees, and huge trees. Right spots include large open spaces like parks or large lawns (I am trying to replace a dead box-elder in the park across the street from me with a N. Catalpa). Like a Ginkgo, their best beauty develops at maturity. Give these trees time and a good location, and they become a legacy tree admired by many. (P.S., for those who think the pods are menacing and obnoxious, I just want to point out they are fascinating to little kids. This is great for urban environments as sometimes it is difficult to kids to be fascinated by nature in the concrete jungle of a city).

I would argue with some of the people who have said negative things about this tree. It's an absolutely beautiful sight to see it in bloom. Here in colorado sometimes trees are limited that will grow with such sucess and this one. The leaves are rather large and fun to look at.

The Catalpa is a very worthwhile choice to grow. I do not know if this is a native tree to Lansing, Michigan, but I do know from the book Michigan Trees by Otis that is is a naturalized species here in the Grand River Valley. Old specimans are often found in this area in graveyards and around fine old homes. While it does not seem to be very popular here anymore I would recommend it to anyone who wants an unusual, fast growing shade tree. When in bloom this tree has an ethereal beauty that can not be matched. The large, heart shaped leaves seem more like they belong in a rain forest than in Michigan. The one I planted does fine on a slightly shaded hill with dry sand/clay soil. I would argue that they do live for over 100 years; in rich moist soil they grow over 70 ft. in this region. Note: While this is a great lawn tree it is not for the anal as the large seed pods can create a mess. Much like most things in life it is a trade off. No more trouble than a Black Walnut or a Sycamore. Kids like the leaves and the birds seem drawn to this fine tree- well worth planting and easily grown from seed.

This tree has its place. Out of place, it is a menace.

Very attractive trees can be grown from seed and will outpace an expensive large container-grown plant. Full size in 10 years. Fast growth makes it a mildly brittle-stemmed plant, but heat/drought/soil tolerances with very unusual texture make it worthwhile in certain places. (Good to even 8.0 pH) Do not plant where the large leaf litter or rigid-dried-pod-litter will be a problem. Seedlings are not difficult to kill by mowing.

This tree is the highlight of our early summer, The blossoms are very aromatic and wonderful, The leaf provides great shade for our hot Utah summers. This tree is very hardy and bug/disease resistant. Fast/Medium grower. In fall this tree will usually drop it's leaves within a weeks period of time and usually after a consistant period of hard frost. This makes leaf clean up a rather short period of time. The pods can be a pain but with a good bagging mower this is a non-issue for us. No special watering is required for this tree which makes it essentially care free once established. This is the only tree I would consider a must for any yard we have.

The large heart-shaped leaves and irregular branching are an obnoxious contrast to the northern landscape. The most interest the tree provides is when its in bloom with large flowers that remind me of Rhododendron catawbiense 'Album' as the flowers are white with a clear violet-blue throat. I can't believe nurseries used to sell this!!! In the tree's defense, it is a strong fast growing tree but for ornamental purposes its simply not worth digging the hole.

Fast grower and transplants easily. Prone to powdery mildew, though.