Northern Catalpa (Catalpa speciosa)
Family : Bignoniaceae
Zone: 4 - 8
Zone: 4 - 8
Non-native tree originally found growing in the lowlands of southwest Tennessee, southeastern Missouri and southern Illinois. Introduced in Minnesota as an ornamental. Large heart-shaped leaves attached to stems in a whorl arrangement are unusual. Beautiful white orchid-like flowers with accents of purple and yellow occur in large clusters and can cover the entire tree in the springtime. Flowers produce long, thin cigar-shaped seed pods that extend from the tip of branches. Fairly large tree that can reach a height of 70 ft or more at maturity. The brittle branches tend to break in heavy winds and the large leaves become torn and tattered by the end of the growing season.