The northernmost species in a largely tropical family, catalpa shows it with it’s large, orchid-like fragrant flowers, broad leaves, and conspicuous showy seed pods. A fairly adaptable, relatively fast growing tree with a good natural form. The flowers and extra-floral nectaries make it valuable to many insects.

Pollination: Male and female needed.

Light: Full Sun, Part Sun/Shade

Soil Moisture: Wet, Wet Mesic, Mesic, Dry Mesic

Soil Type: Adaptable 

Height: 40’-70’

Width: 20’-50’

Bloom Color: White

Bloom Time: May-Jun

Fruit: Distinctive, long seedpods darken to black and split when mature to disperse seeds.

Fall Color: Yellow, Light Green

Root Type: Branching

Notable Wildlife Interactions: Flowers attract bees, ants, flies, skippers, and moths. Extra-floral nectaries attract insects such as ants, wasps, and ladybird beetles. Hosts moths such as the tesera sphinx and catalpa sphinx, and some smaller insects. Rarely browsed by mammals. Older trees are prone to breakage and hollows provide habitat for many mammals.

Notes: The historic native range is something of a mystery, though southern Indiana and scattered areas throughout the Midwest seem generally accepted. Trees may approach 100’ in height in the south, and only live ~60 years. The extra-floral nectaries on damaged leaves produce more nectar in an effort to attract predacious insects to whatever is eating the leaves. Large sphinx moth caterpillars are often abundant on trees, and valued for use as fishing bait.