Scientific name: Catalpa bignonioides
Synonym: Catalpa catalpa & Catalpa syringaefolia
Family: BIGNONIACEAE
Common names: “Indian bean tree” “Southern catalpa” “catawba” “Indian cigar” “smoking bean”
Plant Type: Deciduous tree
Conditions:
Zone: 5-9
Light: Full sun best – light shade
Exposure: Sheltered from strong wind
Soil: Fertile, will tolerate clay
Moisture: Moist well drained
Aesthetic:
Plant Size: 30-70′ H & W
Leaf and Stem shape: Large pale green, broad-ovate heart shaped leaves
Flower: Conical panicles of white flowers, marked with orange and purple, followed by long bean-like pods
Pruning: None required, cut back anytime, can be coppiced, prune to shape
Maintenance: Low
Landscape use: Specimen tree, roadside planting, pollard
Propagate: By seed, cuttings and grafting
Pests & Disease: Verticillium wilt
Comments: ~AGM winner , native to southeastern USA
Cultivars: ~AGM winner: C. b. ‘Aurea’ – golden bronze foliage
