northern catalpa

(Catalpa speciosa)

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List

not listed

NatureServe

N4? - Apparently Secure

SNA - Not applicable

Minnesota

not listed

Wetland Indicator Status

Great Plains

FACU - Facultative upland

Midwest

FACU - Facultative upland

Northcentral & Northeast

FACU - Facultative upland

 
northern catalpa
 
 
Description

Northern catalpa is a medium-sized, moderately fast-growing, moderately short-lived, deciduous tree rising on a single trunk from a relatively shallow, spreading root system. It can be 50 to 98 tall and up to 48 in diameter at breast height, though in Minnesota it is usually no more than 80 in height and 24 in diameter.

The trunk is relatively stout and usually somewhat crooked but may be straight. The crown is irregular.

The bark on mature trees is reddish-brown, rough, and divided into shallow, irregular furrows and vertical ridges with thick scaly plates.

Young twigs are stout, green, and hairless with scattered white dots (lenticels). Older twigs are reddish-brown. The pith is continuous. The leaf scars are round or shield-shaped and distinctly raised but depressed in the center like a suction cup. They have numerous bundle scars forming an oval.

There are no terminal buds. Lateral buds are small and are covered with dark brown to black scales.

The leaves are deciduous and are arranged in whorls of three. They hang downward on 1½ to 5 long, light green, hairless or mostly hairless leaf stalks (petioles). There are no leaf-like appendages (stipules) at the base of the petiole. The leaf blades are heart-shaped, unlobed, pinnately veined, 5½ to 8¼ long, and 4½ to 6¾ wide. They taper to a long point at the tip with concave sides along the tip. The upper surface is dull, green, and hairless. The lower surface is pale and densely covered with short curly hairs, especially along the veins. The margins are untoothed. In autumn the leaves turn pale yellowish-green and fall before turning yellowish-brown.

The flowers are bisexual, having both male and female parts. They appear when the leaves are fully grown in May to June. The inflorescence is large, showy, 5 to 10 long and wide, branched cluster (panicle) of 10 to 30 flowers at the tips of branches.

Individual flowers are more or less bell shaped, 2 to 2½ long, 1½ to 2 wide, and bilaterally symmetrical. There are 5 sepals, 5 petals, 2 fertile stamens, 3 infertile staminodes, and 1 style. The sepals (calyx) are fused together into a to ½ long tube. The calyx is hairless and tinged with purple. It splits open deeply at maturity into 2 irregular lobes. The petals are fused at the base into a tube about 1 long, then separated into 5 unequal lobes. The lowest lobe is shallowly notched. The petals are bright white with two yellow to orange patches and several brownish-purple dots and lines at the throat. The staminodes are short. The stamens are long but do not protrude from the corolla tube. The style is white with a 2-lobed stigma. The flowers are fragrant but inhaling their aroma may be poisonous to some individuals.

The fruit is an 8 to 16 long, to in diameter, bean-like seedpod containing numerous seeds. The seedpod is narrowly cylindrical, round in cross section, and relatively thick-walled. It is light green at first, turning brown at maturity. The seeds are flat, light brown, 5 16 to long, and to ¼ wide. They have a papery wing and a tuft of long hairs at each end. After the seeds are released the sides of the seedpod (valves) remain concave. The seedpod ripens in the fall and remains on the tree, opening slowly and releasing seeds throughout the winter and spring.

 

Height

50 to 80

 

Record

Records are not kept for non-native trees

 

Flower Color

White with yellow and purple markings

 

Similar Species

Chinese catalpa (Catalpa ovata) leaves are usually lobed or angled near the middle. The underside is hairless at maturity, sometimes hairy only along the veins when young. The flowers are much smaller, no more than 1 long. The seedpods are relatively thin-walled. It has only been reported in Houston County.

Habitat

Moist but well-drained. Alluvial forests in south-central US. Full or partial sun.

Ecology

Flowering

May to June

 

Pests and Diseases

Catalpa sphinx (Ceratomia catalpae) caterpillars can defoliate the tree.

Use

In the 1930s and 1940s northern catalpa was widely planted as a windbreak and cultivated for fence posts in Ohio. It is still sold and planted as a shade tree and ornamental because of its large leaves and showy flowers.

Distribution

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 4, 7, 24, 28, 29, 30.

The map at left includes observations from iNaturalist and from sightings posted by visitors on MinnesotaSeasons.com. Both are in light green on the map. At least some of those sightings are in people’s yards, and one is in an arboretum. Those are not outside of cultivation.

5/21/2023    
     

Nativity

Native to Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Texas. Introduced and cultivated farther north and west. Widely spreading.

     

Occurrence

Adventive and locally naturalized in Minnesota.

Prior to European settlement the range of northern catalpa had contracted to a small area around the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. It has now become naturalized from Kansas to Virginia north to southern Michigan and southern Wisconsin. Its range continues to spread and now includes almost all states east of the Rocky Mountains. In Minnesota it is not fully established but is locally naturalized. It is hardy up to zone 4, which includes the southern half of the state.

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae (green algae and land plants)

Subkingdom

Viridiplantae (green plants)

Infrakingdom

Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)

Superdivision

Embryophyta (land plants)

Division

Tracheophyta (vascular plants)

Subdivision

Spermatophytina (seed plants) / Angiospermae (flowering plants)

Class

Magnoliopsida (dicots)

Superorder

Asteranae

Order

Lamiales (mints, plantains, olives, and allies)

Family

Bignoniaceae (bignonia)

Tribe

Catalpeae

Genus

Catalpa (catalpas)

Subgenus

Catalpa

   

Subordinate Taxa

 

   

Synonyms

 

   

Common Names

catawba

cigartree

Indian-bean

northern catalpa

western catalpa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Calyx

The group of outer floral leaves (sepals) below the petals, occasionally forming a tube.

 

Corolla

A collective name for all of the petals of a flower.

 

Lenticel

A corky, round or stripe-like, usually raised, pore-like opening in bark that allows for gas exchange.

 

Panicle

A pyramidal inflorescence with a main stem and branches. Flowers on the lower, longer branches mature earlier than those on the shorter, upper ones.

 

Petiole

On plants: The stalk of a leaf blade or a compound leaf that attaches it to the stem. On ants and wasps: The constricted first one or two segments of the rear part of the body.

 

Pinnately veined

With the veins arranged like the vanes of a feather; a single prominent midvein extending from the base to the tip and lateral veins originating from several points on each side.

 

Pith

The spongy cells in the center of the stem.

 

Sepal

An outer floral leaf, usually green but sometimes colored, at the base of a flower.

 

Stamen

The male reproductive organ of a flower consisting of an pollen-producing anther on a supporting filament.

 

Staminode

A modified stamen that produces no pollen. It often has no anther. Plural: staminodia.

 

Stigma

In plants, the portion of the female part of the flower that is receptive to pollen. In Lepidoptera, an area of specialized scent scales on the forewing of some skippers, hairstreaks, and moths. In Odonata, a thickened, dark or opaque cell near the tip of the wing on the leading edge.

 

Stipule

A small, leaf-like, scale-like, glandular, or rarely spiny appendage found at the base of a leaf stalk, usually occurring in pairs and usually dropping soon.

Visitor Photos
 

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Amy O

sapling growing by my back door.

   
northern catalpa   northern catalpa

Jeremy W.

northern catalpa

Randy

northern catalpa   northern catalpa
 

Northern Catalpa in Owatonna, MN

 

 

Northern Catalpa. Freeborn County, MN, June 2017

 

 

MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
northern catalpa   northern catalpa

Habitat

 

Sapling

     
northern catalpa   northern catalpa

Sapling

 

Sapling

     
northern catalpa   northern catalpa

Sapling

 

Mature tree

     
northern catalpa   northern catalpa

Mature tree

 

Leaf

     
northern catalpa   northern catalpa

Leaf

 

Leaf

     
northern catalpa   northern catalpa

Leaf

 

Flowering branch

     
northern catalpa   northern catalpa

Flowering branch

 

Inflorescence

     
northern catalpa    

Flower

 

 

     
northern catalpa   northern catalpa

Flower

 

Flower

     

 

northern catalpa   northern catalpa

Twig

 

Infructescence

     
northern catalpa   northern catalpa

Fruit

 

Fruit

     
northern catalpa   northern catalpa

Fruit

 

Fruit

 

Camera

Slideshows

Catalpa speciosa
Blake C. Willson

Catalpa speciosa

 

slideshow

Visitor Videos
 

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Other Videos

Trees with Don Leopold - northern catalpa
ESFTV

About

Published on Nov 4, 2011

Northern Catalpa - Up and Coming Urban Species
TheCampusTrees

About

Published on May 9, 2013

Tom Rinzer, Landscape Architect for the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, discusses uses and characteristics of northern catalpa (Catalpa speciosa).

Unless otherwise noted, photos and videos are by Ross Meyer. Music by Dom Terrace.

How to ID Catalpa speciosa
Laura Deeter

About

Uploaded on Nov 19, 2008

Short video showing the key identifying characteristics for Catalpa speciosa

Time lapse Catalpa
jeffargh1

About

Uploaded on Jun 30, 2008

This is a time lapse video showing spring growth of the Northern Catalpa (Indian Cigar tree, other names). These are 2 year old saplings. One photo was taken per day over approx one month.

 

Camcorder

Visitor Sightings
 

Report a sighting of this plant.

 

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Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
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Amy O
6/28/2019

Location: Indiana

sapling growing by my back door.

northern catalpa
Jeremy W.
6/28/2019

Location: Golden Valley, MN - Hennepin County

northern catalpa
Randy
June, 2017

Location: Freeborn County, MN

northern catalpa
Randy
8/9/2016

Location: Owatonna, MN

northern catalpa
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings

 

 

Binoculars

 

Created: 10/28/2015

Last Updated:

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