Northern Catalpa
Catalpa speciosa
A bold, fast tree with huge heart-shaped leaves, showy white flower panicles, and long bean-like seed pods. Coarse and weak-wooded, dropping flowers, pods, and limbs — beloved for shade but messy and storm-prone in the landscape.
Field reference
Family
Bignoniaceae
Growth rate
Fast
Mature size
40–70 ft tall, 20–50 ft spread
Hardiness zone
4–8
Soil preference
Wide range — moist to dry, acidic to alkaline; very adaptable
Sun
Full sun to part shade
Pruning window
Dormant season; expect coarse, brittle regrowth
Wood properties
Light, soft, very rot-resistant wood (~0.41 SG) historically used for fence posts. Brittle, coarse limbs break in storms — a frequent storm-damage and cleanup tree.
Native range
Midwestern United States, Illinois and Indiana to Arkansas; widely naturalized
Green weight
38 lb/ft³
Pests & diseases to watch
Common questions
What are the long bean-like pods on my catalpa?
Those are the seed capsules that give catalpa its 'cigar tree' nickname. They are harmless but drop in quantity, adding to the flower and leaf litter the tree is known for.
Why do catalpas lose limbs in storms?
Their wood is light and brittle and they often form codominant stems, so big limbs snap in wind and ice. Early structural pruning to a single leader reduces — but does not eliminate — storm breakage.
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