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

 
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Family: Bignoniaceae (big-no-nih-AY-see-ee) (Info)
Genus: Catalpa (kuh-TAL-puh) (Info)
Species: speciosa (spee-see-OH-suh) (Info)

5 vendors have this plant for sale.

4 members have or want this plant for trade.

Category:
Trees

Height:
over 40 ft. (12 m)

Spacing:
8-10 ft. (2.4-3 m)

Hardiness:
USDA Zone 4a: to -34.4 °C (-30 °F)
USDA Zone 4b: to -31.6 °C (-25 °F)
USDA Zone 5a: to -28.8 °C (-20 °F)
USDA Zone 5b: to -26.1 °C (-15 °F)
USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3 °C (-10 °F)
USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5 °C (-5 °F)
USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 °C (0 °F)
USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 °C (5 °F)
USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 °C (10 °F)
USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 °C (15 °F)

Sun Exposure:
Sun to Partial Shade

Danger:
Parts of plant are poisonous if ingested

Bloom Color:
Pale Pink
White/Near White

Bloom Time:
Late Spring/Early Summer
Mid Summer

Foliage:
Deciduous

Other details:
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater

Soil pH requirements:
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)

Patent Information:
Unknown - Tell us

Propagation Methods:
From seed; direct sow after last frost
Scarify seed before sowing

Seed Collecting:
Allow seedheads to dry on plants; remove and collect seeds

By Evert
Thumbnail #1 of Catalpa speciosa by Evert

By Terry
Thumbnail #2 of Catalpa speciosa by Terry

By lego_brickster
Thumbnail #3 of Catalpa speciosa by lego_brickster

By Tammy
Thumbnail #4 of Catalpa speciosa by Tammy

By growin
Thumbnail #5 of Catalpa speciosa by growin

By growin
Thumbnail #6 of Catalpa speciosa by growin

By lkz5ia
Thumbnail #7 of Catalpa speciosa by lkz5ia

There are a total of 16 photos.
Click here to view them all!

Profile:

4 positives
1 neutral
1 negative

Gardeners' Notes:

RatingAuthorComment
Positive Bledsoe On Mar 16, 2007, Bledsoe from Fort Collins, CO wrote:

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.







Positive masonesker On Jan 8, 2007, masonesker from Lansing, MI wrote:

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.

Positive JamesCO On Mar 28, 2006, JamesCO from Grand Junction, CO
(Zone 7a) wrote:

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.

Positive mparry1 On Apr 26, 2004, mparry1 from Provo, UT wrote:

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.

Negative gold_thumb On Oct 21, 2003, gold_thumb from Dunstable, MA wrote:

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.

Neutral smiln32 On Jul 31, 2002, smiln32 from Oklahoma City, OK
(Zone 7a) wrote:

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

Regional...

This plant has been said to grow in the following regions:

Greensboro, Alabama
Jones, Alabama
Morrilton, Arkansas
Merced, California
Clifton, Colorado
Fort Collins, Colorado
Savannah, Georgia
Chicago, Illinois
Denison, Iowa
Dunstable, Massachusetts
Lansing, Michigan
Eveleth, Minnesota
Neptune, New Jersey
Jefferson, New York
Columbia Station, Ohio
Sandusky, Ohio
Rochester, Pennsylvania
Sayre, Pennsylvania
West Newton, Pennsylvania
Conway, South Carolina
Provo, Utah
Spokane, Washington



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