Cigar Tree Catalpa speciosa
Other Common Name(s):
Other plants called Cigar Tree:
- Phonetic Spelling
- kah-TAL-pah spee-see-OH-sah
- Description
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The northern catalpa is a medium-sized to large, deciduous tree with a short, thick trunk and a rounded to pyramidal crown. It is native to the eastern and central US, including North Carolina. It is a member of the trumpetvine family (Bignoniaceae). The name Catalpa is derived from the Muscogee name for the tree, "kutuhlpa," and the species epithet, speciosa, means “showy.”
The northern catalpa prefers full sun or part shade. It is tolerant of most soil conditions, but it prefers a moist loam with plenty of organic material.
This tree has a rounded crown with spreading branches, coarse leaves, and brittle wood. The foliage is noted to be very large. These leaves turn yellow in the fall and then eventually turn black. Northern catalpa has showy white flowers that have bright yellow and purple patterns on the inside of the flower. They flower in late spring to early summer and produce long, showy, green seed pods. This plant is hardier than the southern catalpa (Catalpa bignonioides) and blooms earlier. The northern catalpa is a natural host to two native moths, the catalpa sphinx (Ceratomia catalpae) and the tersa sphinx (Xylophanes tersa), which are important food sources for birds and bats.
The two US species can be distinguished as follows:
- C. bignonioides: Foliage with a fetid odor; lower corolla lobe entire; densely spotted with purple; seed wings rounded like a pointed paintbrush.
- C. speciosa: Foliage with “green” odor; lower corolla lobe cleft; sparsely spotted with purple; seed wings flattened.
It does well in difficult locations of the landscape, such as moist low spots or dry spots with poor soils. This species can be grown in a variety of landscape themes, including children’s gardens, rain gardens, native gardens and butterfly gardens.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This species does not have a serious problem with diseases or insects, however, it could be susceptible to verticillium wilt, leaf spot, mildew, and twig blight. The larvae of the catalpa sphinx moth also feed on the foliage, which can result in considerable damage, albeit temporary and non-lethal.
VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Catalpa
- Species:
- speciosa
- Family:
- Bignoniaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Central & E. U.S.A. to Utah
- Distribution:
- range from ME west to ND to UT south to TX east to GA
- Wildlife Value:
- Host to two native moths: the catalpa sphinx and the tersa sphinx.
- Play Value:
- Attractive Flowers
- Attracts Pollinators
- Pieces Used in Games
- Shade
- Wildlife Cover/Habitat
- Wildlife Larval Host
- Dimensions:
- Height: 40 ft. 0 in. - 70 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 8 ft. 0 in. - 16 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Perennial
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Pyramidal
- Rounded
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Coarse
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Wet
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Length:
- > 3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- Bean like fruit up to 22" long dark brown when mature in the fall. They split lengthwise to release wind-dispersed seeds. Resemble cigars hence the common name.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Orange
- Purple/Lavender
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Panicle
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Shape:
- Bell
- Flower Petals:
- fused petals
- Flower Description:
- Upright panicle of white, bell-shaped flowers with orange stripes and purple spots and stripes.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Soft
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Insignificant
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Whorled
- Leaf Shape:
- Cordate
- Oblong
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Description:
- Light green, 6" to 12", whorled or opposite simple pinnately veined entire margined yellow-green to brown soft pubescence underside leaf. Pointed at tips cordate at the base. Insignificant yellow fall color. They do not have an unpleasant fragrance when crushed like C. bignoniodies.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Light Gray
- Red/Burgundy
- Surface/Attachment:
- Fissured
- Ridges
- Bark Description:
- Pale grey to reddish brown irregular shallow fissures and scaly ridged bark.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Lawn
- Meadow
- Recreational Play Area
- Riparian
- Slope/Bank
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Children's Garden
- Native Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Rain Garden
- Design Feature:
- Shade Tree
- Street Tree
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Moths
- Pollinators
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Drought
- Dry Soil
- Pollution
- Poor Soil
- Wet Soil
- Problems:
- Weak Wood
