Common Catalpa trees in our area:

 

 

Northern Catalpa:

• Broadleaf deciduous tree, 40-60 ft (12-18 m) tall and 20-40 ft (6-12 m) wide, may much larger in the wild, irregular oval crown, coarse.  Leaves opposite or whorled, simple, very large, 6-12 in x 3-8 in, ovate to ovate-oblong, base truncate to cordate, tip long acuminate, margin entire, medium green and glabrous (without hairs) above, densely pubescent below.
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• Flowers about 2 in long, white tube-shaped, yellow spots inside lower petal, some purple spots also, borne in large upright terminal clusters (panicles).  Fruit develop into long pods, 16 in long or more, 0.5 in wide, thick walled, persist through winter; contain numerous oblong, winged seeds.

 

• Sun and partial shade.  Very tolerant of soil type, but prefers deep, moist, fertile soil.  Withstands wet or dry and alkaline conditions and extremely hot, dry environments.  Short lived, 50 years above average.

 

• Hardy to USDA Zone 4     Native to Illinois and Indiana to western Tennessee and northern Arkansas.

 

 

 

 

Common problems with Catalpa trees:

 

 

Insects:

 

Aphids
Aphids feed by sucking up plant juices through a food channel in their beaks. At the same time, they inject saliva into the host. Light infestations are usually not harmful to plants, but higher infestations may result in leaf curl, wilting, stunting of shoot growth, and delay in production of flowers and fruit, as well as a general decline in plant vigor. Some aphids are also important vectors of plant diseases, transmitting pathogens in the feeding process. A sticky glaze of honeydew may collect on lower leaves, outdoor furniture, cars, and other objects below aphid feeding sites. Honeydew coated objects soon become covered by one or more brown fungi known as sooty molds. Crusts of sooty mold are unsightly on man-made objects, and they can interfere with photosynthesis in leaves. MORE INFO
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Diseases:

 

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