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Context Explanation

It has large, heart-shaped leaves and large clusters of fragrant, white flowers. The long, interesting seed pods persist through the winter. Northern catalpa is very adaptable to adverse conditions, but has weak wood and branch structure. Northern catalpa is a member of the Bignoniaceae, the Bignonia or Catalpa family.

Insight Material

Species in this family range from woody vines to large trees. Other plants in the family include trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans) and crossvine (Bignonia capreolata). The family is mostly tropical and subtropical. Catalpa speciosa, commonly known as the northern catalpa, hardy catalpa, western catalpa, cigar tree or catawba, [2][3] is a species of Catalpa native to the midwestern United States. The northern catalpa is a large, upright tree.

Final Conclusion

Its bark is a gray-brown that becomes scaly with age. Leaves are simple and large, 6" to 10" long, and heart-shaped. They grow in a whorled or opposite arrangement along branches. In fall the leaves will become yellow-green to brown. Northern Catalpa (Catalpa speciosa) is a large, deciduous tree native to the central and eastern United States. It is admired for its rapid growth, showy white flowers, large heart-shaped leaves, and long, slender seed pods.

Northern catalpa (Catalpa speciosa), native to a relatively small area of the central Mississippi Valley basin, has been extensively cultivated in Ohio for over 200 years, and is now naturalized in urban and rural areas, primarily used today as a large ornamental shade tree. 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).