Catalpa bignonioides seed

LATIN NAME: Catalpa bignonioides

COMMON NAME: Southern Catalpa, Cigartree, Indian Bean Tree

The southern catalpa is a handsome and generous tree of the southern American gardens, and its great, heart-shaped leaves and its tall, showy spikes of the white, trumpet-shaped bloom have made it a beloved tree of the summer garden. It grows as a medium-sized, deciduous tree of the trumpet-creeper family, reaching up to fifteen metres, with a broad, rounded, open crown of the large, heart-shaped, pointed leaves and, in the early summer, the many showy, white flowers with the yellow and the purple markings, borne in the tall, upright, showy, pyramidal clusters, followed by the long, slender, bean-like pods of the many winged seeds. It is a short-lived species of the genus, native to the southeastern United States, in the Alabama, the Florida, the Georgia, the Louisiana and the Mississippi, while it is known as the southern catalpa, the cigartree or the Indian bean tree, and it is a beloved tree of the summer garden.

The southern catalpa belongs to the trumpet-creeper family, Bignoniaceae, and it is a short-lived species of the genus, native to the southeastern United States, in the Alabama, the Florida, the Georgia, the Louisiana and the Mississippi. It is known as the southern catalpa, the cigartree or the Indian bean tree, while it is prized for its great, heart-shaped leaves and its showy spikes of the white bloom.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The southern catalpa has a genuine and growing place in both horticultural and ecological research. It has been studied in the horticulture, since it is a beloved tree of the summer garden, prized for its great, heart-shaped leaves and its showy spikes of the white bloom, and researchers have examined its cultivation, its growth and its value in the garden, while its striking, trumpet-shaped bloom has drawn attention in the international horticultural press as a handsome tree of the summer garden, and its long, bean-like pods have been of continuing curiosity. The tree has also been studied in the ecology, since it is a native of the southeastern United States, and researchers have examined its growth, its role in the warm woodland and the garden community and its value to the wildlife, while the catalpas are known as the host of the catalpa worm, and the value of the tree to the birds has been examined, and the long, bean-like pods feed and shelter the wildlife. The species has also been studied in the botany, since it is a member of the trumpet-creeper family, and its classification and its relationships have been examined, while the study of the catalpas and their many species has been of continuing interest. For a tree of such charm, the southern catalpa has a rich and growing record of research.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Ecologically, the southern catalpa is a generous tree of the summer garden. Its tall, showy spikes of the white bloom feed the bees and the butterflies, and its great, heart-shaped leaves give a welcome shade, while its long, bean-like pods feed and shelter the birds, and it is a beloved presence in the gardens of the warm world.

Its economic value is real. The southern catalpa is a beloved tree of the summer garden, prized for its great, heart-shaped leaves and its showy bloom, and its charm has drawn attention in the international horticultural press as a handsome tree of the summer garden, while its long, bean-like pods have made it a tree of the great curiosity. For a grower, the southern catalpa is a rewarding and charming tree, and for a gardener it brings heart-shaped leaves, showy bloom and curious, bean-like pods. The seeds are easy to start — sow them in a pot of moist, free-draining compost in a sunny spot, keep them lightly watered, and they’ll be sprouting within a couple of weeks, growing on into a handsome, heart-leaved tree.

This is a beautiful looking tree with long beans
and the most glorious flowers make it a really ornamental tree for any garden

Cultivation and uses

It is widely grown as an Ornamental tree. The Catalpa has the distinction of bearing some of the showiest flowers of all the American native

trees. Its value in this respect has long been recognized and it holds an assured place in the parks and gardens of all temperate countries

Likes moist soil and full sun,

Easily germinated early in the first season.

Grows 15m -18m
This one comes from Germany
Size and spread (10 years): 5m x 5m
Treatment required: Not dormant.

Ideal sowing period: Spring
Soil conditions: All well drained soils but not on exposed sites.
Planting instructions:
Mature height: 15m x 12m