Northern Catalpa

Scientific Name:
Catalpa speciosa 

Average height at maturity:
40 to 60 feet 

Average width of canopy at maturity:
20 to 40 feet 

Leaves and bark:

  • The Northern catalpa has leaves that are 6 to 10 inches long and heart shaped. The leaves are arranged in an opposite pattern on the tree’s branches and turn from yellow-green to brown during the autumn.
  • The Northern catalpa has gray-brown bark which becomes scaly as the tree matures.

Other fun and interesting facts:

  • The Northern catalpa has bean-like seed pods that can grow up to 20 inches long
  • These seed pods contain seeds that are around 1 inch long and fringed at their ends
  • The Northern catalpa has white flowers that are 4 to 8 inches wide and shaped like a bell or trumpet
  • Bees are attracted to the white flowers.
  • Hummingbirds like the Northern catalpa.
  • A 20-inch northern catalpa (like the ones in Wood Park) can intercept 2,464 gallons of stormwater runoff in a year.
  • It can also reduce atmospheric carbon by 538 pounds.
  • The large trees at the back of Wood Park are northern catalpas. Also look for a northern catalpa between the large playground and baseball field.

 

Sources:

https://dyckarboretum.org/trees-for-the-bees/
https://www.arborday.org/calculator/returnValues.cfm?climatezone=Northeast
https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/northern-catalpa/#more-information
https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?ItemID=805
https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/Catalpa-speciosa.shtml

 

Photo Credit to Ben Leynse
Information compiled as part of Robert Slater’s 2023 Eagle Scout Project