Catalpa Tree

Catalpa Trees

Catalpa trees are fast-growing large shade trees known for their heart-shaped leaves and showy white flowers marked inside with yellow and purple. The leaves are 6 to 12 inches long and often grow in whorls of three. By fall, the branches hang with slender brown pods 8 to 20 inches long, which is why many people call it the cigar tree.

Shade, Summer Flowers and Fish Bait

The catalpa we grow is northern (Catalpa speciosa), the hardier of the two catalpas native to the eastern U.S. Young trees grow fast, often 1 to 2 feet a year, and reach 40 to 60 feet tall and 20 to 40 feet wide, with a short, thick trunk and a rounded crown. It isn't fussy about soil and grows in wet ground, dry ground, clay, and alkaline soil. Its flowers open in late May and June, after redbuds and dogwoods are done, so among our flowering trees it's the one that carries spring bloom into summer.

In the South it's known as the fish bait tree. The catalpa sphinx moth lays its eggs only on catalpa, and the striped caterpillars, called catalpa worms, are prized by anglers for catfish and bream. Our Catalpa landscape guide explains how to choose the best spot for your tree.

• Botanical name: Catalpa speciosa, northern catalpa
• Width at maturity: 20–40 ft, with a rounded crown
• Growth rate: fast when young, often 1–2 ft a year
• Flowers and pods: white, foxglove-like clusters, then brown pods 8–20 in. long that hang into winter
  
• Things to know: best in open spaces with room to spread; gives about 50 years of shade 
• Best uses: shade for large lots, farm lanes and pond banks; a source of catalpa worms for fishing
• What ships: bare-root trees 1–4 ft, Buy 1 Get 1 Free or bundles of 5 or 25
   
  

Where Catalpa Grows Best 

Catalpa gives you a lot in a short time: fast shade, a big show of flowers in early summer, and long pods that hang on into winter. The flowers drift down after they bloom, the pods come down through the winter, and the big leaves turn yellow before they drop in fall. The wood is tough and rot-resistant, which is why farms once used it for fence posts, and most trees give you about 50 years of shade, a good long run for a tree that grows this fast.

Catalpa is at its best in open spaces, like a back lawn, a pasture edge, a pond bank, or along a farm lane, where it has room to spread. Plant it at least 15 feet from the house, and with its size and big, bold leaves, it makes a striking shade tree on open ground. 

Catalpa Tree for Sale: Planting Your New Tree

This plant ships bare root, meaning it arrives dormant with no soil on its roots. Each catalpa tree for sale here comes 1–2, 2–3, or 3–4 feet tall, as a Buy 1 Get 1 Free pair or in bundles of 5 or 25. Plant it when it arrives in late November, or any time the ground can be worked before spring growth starts. Spread the roots in a hole wider than they are, set the tree at the depth it grew, and water it in well. Water weekly through the first summer. It grows best in full sun, so give it an open, sunny spot.

Catalpa is a good shade tree. If you want catalpa worms for fishing, plant 3 to 5 trees. Several trees give a steadier supply, since some trees attract more egg-laying than others nearby each year. Space them 30 to 40 feet apart. Plant redbud and dogwood close by for a long bloom season; they flower in early and mid-spring, followed by the catalpa. 

Planting & Growing Information

Ships: Ships Between November 15–29
Planting Zone: 4–8
Height at Maturity: 40–60 Feet
Water Needs: Low, Moderate, and High
Sun or Shade: Full sun and Partial shade
Bloom Season: May–June
Care: Water weekly the first summer. Prune dead or crossing limbs in late winter. Rake up pods and leaves in fall and winter. 
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade. Plant at least 15 feet from buildings, patios, and drives. 
Plant Attributes: Late-spring white flowers, Long cigar-like pods, Fish bait tree, grows in wet or dry soil