what is a catalpa tree
Catalpa, commonly called catalpa or catawba, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to warm temperate regions of North America, the Caribbean, and East Asia.he tree is the sole source of food for the catalpa sphinx moth (Ceratomia catalpae), the leaves being eaten by the caterpillars. When caterpillars are numerous, infested trees may be completely defoliated.
The catalpa tree is the last tree to grow leaves in the spring. The leaves generally do not color in autumn before falling, instead, they either fall abruptly after the first hard freeze, or turn a slightly yellow-brown before dropping off.atalpa speciosa was originally thought to be native only to a small area of the midwestern United States near the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.
Catalpa trees are 40- to 70-foot tall trees with arching canopies and an average lifespan of 60 years. The deciduous plants are hardy to USDA planting zones 4 to 8 and can tolerate moist soils but are more suited to dry areas.The leaves are arrow-shaped and glossy bright green.atalpa Tree Planting. Choose a bright sunny location for growing Catalpa trees. Ideally, the soil should be moist and rich, although the plant can tolerate dry and inhospitable sites. Dig a hole twice as deep and twice as wide as the root ball.