Catalpa speciosa

Scientific Name: Catalpa speciosa

Common Name: catalpa

Native Range: United States

Zone: 4 to 8

Plant type & Form: Tree, irregular, narrow oval, upright

Height: 40.00 to 70.00 ft

Spread: 20.00 to 50.00 ft

Bloom Time: May to June

Bloom Description: Upright, 4 to 8 inch clusters of white, bell-shaped flowers

Bark: Gray-brown, scaly with age

Fruit: Pod-like capsules, 8 to 20 inches long

Leaf: 6 to 10 inches, heart-shaped, whorled along branch, fuzzy underneath

Sun: Full sun to part shade

Water: Medium to wet

Soil type & pH: Average

Maintenance: Medium

Suggested Use: Flowering shade tree, rain garden

Tolerates: Rabbit, Deer, Clay Soil

Notes: Deer, drought, clay soil, air pollution

Identification notes:  Very large heart shaped leaves with pubescens on the underside.  Long pods are unusual.  Irregular form with coarse branching structure.

Catalpa bark

photos by Ethan McGory