Catalpa ovata seed
LATIN NAME: CATALPA OVATA
COMMON NAME: Yellow Catalpa
In the gardens and the roadsides of the east, the yellow catalpa grows as a medium, round-headed, deciduous tree with the huge, heart-shaped, long-stalked leaves and the large, upright panicles of white flowers marked with yellow and purple in the early summer, the long, slender, bean-like pods hanging through the winter. The young plant grows into a multi-stemmed clump, to about twelve metres. Site it in full sun, in deep, fertile ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The yellow catalpa occupies a place in the studies of the flowering trees of the east, its heart-shaped leaves and its long pods keeping it in view in the work on the roadside trees of the old towns and the catalpa tribe of the region. The research looks at the way the panicles open in the early summer, the slender pods ripen and hold the fringed seeds, and the seed biology of the light, fringed seeds.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
In the avenue and the garden, the yellow catalpa carries the large, orchid-like flowers in the early summer and then the long, hanging pods that give the tree its curious winter look. The broad leaves cast a deep shade, and the tree makes the fine shade tree, the flowering specimen and the tree of the warm, open garden. It is a tree for the open, sunny, deep and fertile place.
To grow the Yellow Catalpa from seed, sow the fringed seeds on the surface of moist, peaty soil.
Sow the fringed seeds on the surface of moist, peaty soil, and keep the young catalpas in the open, sunny spot. The long pods hang through the winter.
LATIN NAME: Catalpa ovata
COMMON NAME: Yellow Catalpa, Chinese Catalpa
The yellow catalpa is a tree of quiet beauty, and its midsummer bloom is one of the delights of the Chinese garden. It establishes itself as an upright, leafy clump, staying under a metre. The flowers are followed by long, slender, bean-like pods that hang on the tree through winter. It is a tree of the Chinese countryside, grown for its shade, its timber and its charm.
The yellow catalpa belongs to the trumpet-creeper family, Bignoniaceae, and it is native to China. It is closely related to the larger and better-known northern catalpa of North America, and it grows well in warm, sunny, moist conditions, tolerating a wide range of soils.
Positive & Encouraging Seed Germination Guide
Growing a yellow catalpa from seed is easy and very rewarding. The seeds sit inside the long, slender pods, and they are flat and papery, with small wings, germinating readily in warm, moist conditions. Sow them in pots of free-draining compost in spring, cover them lightly, and keep them warm, bright and evenly moist. Germination usually begins within two to four weeks. Pot the seedlings on as they grow and plant them out in a sunny, sheltered spot in reasonably good soil. The young trees grow quickly, and within a few years they will reward you with their midsummer clusters of creamy-yellow flowers.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The yellow catalpa has a genuine place in both horticultural and phytochemical research. In China, the tree has a long history of use, and researchers have studied its traditional medicinal uses, since the bark and other parts of the catalpas contain a range of bioactive compounds, including catalpol and related iridoids, which have been studied for their biological activity. The tree has also been studied in forestry research for its timber, which is light and strong and valued in China, and for its value as a shade tree in the landscape. As a member of the trumpet-creeper family, it is of interest in research on the family and its ornamentals. For a tree of such quiet usefulness, the yellow catalpa has a steady and interesting record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the yellow catalpa is a generous tree. Its midsummer flowers feed bees and other pollinators, its long pods feed birds and small mammals, and its broad canopy gives shade and shelter in the garden.
Its economic value is real. The light, strong timber is used in China for furniture, boxes and other work, and the tree is widely planted as a shade and ornamental tree in gardens and along streets, while the bark and other parts have traditional medicinal uses. For a grower, the yellow catalpa is a useful and handsome tree, and for a gardener it brings large, bold leaves and a generous midsummer bloom.
(Also known as yellow catalpa and Japanese catalpa) is a small deciduous tree that typically grows to 30’ tall and as wide with a spreading crown.
Catalpa ovata, the yellow catalpa or Chinese catalpa , is a pod-bearing tree native to China. Compared to C. speciosa, it is much smaller, typically reaching heights between 20 and 30 feet. The inflorescences form 4–10-inch-long (100–250 mm) bunches of creamy white flowers with distinctly yellow tinging; individual flowers are about 1 inch wide. They bloom in July and August. The leaves are very similar in shape to those of Paulownia tomentosa, having three lobes (two are abruptly truncated on either edge, with a third, central, slightly acute, pointed lobe forming the leaf apex), and are darkly green. Fruits are very narrow, foot-long pods.