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Characteristics
 Family-
Bignoniaceae--The Bignonia Family
- Origin
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Originally from the midwestern US; naturalized in NC.
- Plant Description
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Deciduous tree, from 30-60 feet; leaves opposite or in whorls of 3, oval to heart shaped; flowers white, in upright clusters, in May or June after leaves are full grown; fruits ripening in late summer, slender and cigar-shaped.
- Ornamental Characteristics
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A beautiful tree in flower, but throughout the rest of the year rather coarse. Catalpa worms (caterpillars) can eat all of the leaves during the summer, turning the tree into an eyesore.
- Landscape Use
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Specimen tree. Slighly tolerant of salt spray, will grow along tidal creeks and estuaries.
- Horticultural Cultivars
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None.
- Availability/Propagation
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Transplant container grown plants or dig from the wild (with permission)
- Culture
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Full sun, tolerant of moist and dry soils, tolerant of urban conditions.
- Coastal Ecology
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Catalpas are not native to the maritime forest but have naturalized along the roadsides and in yards on the barrier islands. The northern catalpa, C. speciosa is a tall, upright tree; Southern catalpa, C. bignonioides is a shorter, more spreading tree. Individuals with intermediate characteristics occur North Carolina coastal areas, and may represent hybrid forms.
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