Common name: Western catalpa
Family name: Bignoniaceae
- large heart shaped leaves that are papery in texture
- also produces bean like pods (called follicles) that hang from branches and when they open they spread little seeds
- vertically grained bark
- leaves in whirls of threes or oppositely arranged
- two leaves of similar size and one which is even smaller
- raised round leaf scar
- late to leaf and early to drop it’s leaves
- most of the branches are big and hefty and doesn’t have delicate appearance in winter
- skunky smell
- typically very tall standard
- grow about 1 metre a year given summer moisture
- native to deep alluvial soils but incredibly adaptable
- on rapidly growing stem, leaves can grow up to 50-60 cm
- flowers: large pyramidal inflorescences
- flowers in late summer, July through August, and are white in colour
- deciduous tree
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-8
TIP: big floppy elephant-ear-type leaves
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