Northern Catalpa

Catalpa speciosa

Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Bignoniaceae
Genus:
Catalpa
Species:
Catalpa speciosa

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Perennial
Growth Habit:
Tree
Height:
More than 40 ft
Light Requirements:
Part Shade
Drought Tolerance:
Medium
Bloom Months:
apr, may, jun
Bloom Colors:
White

Native Range

United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Canada: Ontario

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Catalpa Sphinx (Ceratomia catalpae), Fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea), Olceclostera seraphica, Spring cankerworm (Paleacrita vernata), White-marked Tussock Moth (Orgyia leucostigma)

Reported Fauna Sightings

Bees: Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
rich, well-drained loamy soil
pH:
6.0 - 8.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
tolerates poor drainage
Moisture:
consistently moist
Notes:
Prefers riverbanks and floodplains in native range

Germination Information

Pre-treatment: Single-step cold-moist stratification for temperate woodland species. for 60–120 days

Source: OpenAI GPT-4o