skip to main content

dormant Northern Catalpa is here

13 years ago

At last, the dormant Northern Catalpa I ordered from Arborday back in August has arrived. It's somewhere between 24" to 28" long and roots are very healthy. It looks nice since there is only one leader. I've planted it outside today. I now have 2 catalpas. :)

I will try to germinate 3 more seeds early next year so I can have 5 total. :)

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (12)

tepelus
13 years ago
I have them things sprouting up all over my yard, I have to keep pulling them up or digging them out from my fence. Very quick growers, and their flowers are beautiful. One of my favorite trees. I love the look of the old trees. But I wonder how their root system is, I'd like to plant hostas under my young one.

Karen
v1rt
Original Author
13 years ago
I have seen hostas and coleus around the foot of a 12 ft catalpa. It's beautiful! I saw it at Olbrich Gardens.

If I grow it from seed early next year,what will be the height at the end of the season which is around this time?
Related Discussions
Catalpa Bignonioides 'Nana': grow in North Tx?
Q
Comments (3)
Have seen Southern Catalpa as far north as southern Ark. Several people have them planted in Waco near me. They seem to do ok in the black clay topsoil here. They do suffer from lack of moisture here - rainfall averages 32". By end of summer many of them will have shed their leaves due to heat and drought. Believe "beanless" would act similarly.
...See More
Catalpa Seedlings--plant now or overwinter?
Q
Comments (8)
using the common name.. i can not figure out if yours is zone appropriate or not ... i fear you are on the edge of loving them to death ... making life way to complicated for a tree ... if zone appropriate ... put them outside in shade.. and when the leaves fall off plant them in mother earth. and put a marker stake near them should they be in an area where someone might step on them under snow ... consider other things if they are not zone appropriate ... frost is irrelevant ... they will grow roots until ground freeze .... we always prefer planting of dormant stock ... as you have a few.. i suggest you try different things.. in case on method fails.. maybe the other method will work ... since you are winging it on some level .. even with all our suggestions .... its really hard to get everything right i have killed more things by over thinking it all .. and trying all kinds of things.. and yet just about everything i chucked out the back door or out of the barn.. and simply ignored.. lived.. whats that all about ... your biggest problem right now.. as i see it.. is the potting media ... as most peat based indoor medias hold way too much water in winter for a tree ... as maine has already alluded to ... a dormant tree in damp media equals root rots ... and it is really hard.. even for the experienced.. to maintain the very slight amount of dampness a tree would need in a pot ... most likely.. if it were me.. i would put them on the foundation on the north side of the house.. right now.. and after the soil froze i would lay them on their sides to avoid water accumulation ... and leave them right there ... and probably cover them with snow from the nearby sidewalk[my house] .. when available.. basically keeping them in a fridge until spring thaw.. and then.. as soon as the soil thawed i would plant them in mother earth.. where trees belong.. [and my only concern would be vermin gnawing on them] never forget.. your babes are TREES.. not houseplants .... think like a tree rather than a houseplant.. and you will be further ahead ken
...See More
Northern Catalpa Tree Planting Suggestions
Q
Comments (6)
Northern catalpa is a beautiful tree when in bloom with its large tropical looking flowers. In all honesty, these trees are best suited to large, open spaces. They are relatively fast growing and can reach 40 to 90 feet at maturity. That would mean a root spread of a potential 80 to 180 feet. After many years, of course. In my experience, these trees are no more prone to surface roots than others. This phenomenon is usually related to overly compacted soil because the roots stay near the surface where the air is. Perhaps your best course is to plant the trees as far from the house and pavement as practical, enjoy them - even cleaning up the beans - for as long as they remain good garden citizens, then remove them. One other issue. Again in my experience, these trees are very prone to infestations of black aphids. This may not be true in your area, but if it is you do not want them in a place where the honeydew drips on vehicles, furniture, patios, etc.
...See More
Tree ID- catalpa?
Q
Comments (4)
It looks like a catalpa to me. If you include a large ball of soil around the roots when you transplant it (ie. don't bare-root it in the process) then you should be safe moving it now. Their roots are rather fleshy, so be careful when digging it up. Dig a ball of soil twice the width of the leaf spread and equally deep just to be safe. If you decide to move it now, sooner is better as that will give it more time to establish itself before the soil temps get too cool in a few weeks. A lot of people don't care for catalpas because of their weak wood and messy seed pods/large dead leaves in the fall. I love the look of these guys. A 50 foot tall mature tree with those big leaves and huge clusters of yellow-brown tinged white flowers is very impressive. An added bonus is that they flower in mid to late June around here when nothing much else is flowering. I have one on my property that I grew from seed a couple years ago; it's already 6-7 feet tall. You'll have a nice tree in no time.
...See More
terrene
13 years ago
I like these trees too. Gorgeous exotic flowers. Did you give them plenty of space and do you have room for 5 of them?? I've got a 45 year old Catalpa speciosa in front of a rental house (where I previously lived). It wasn't really sited that well by the previous owner, because it's only a few feet from a sidewalk and many branches overhang the road. I think it should have been planted back farther. This is a large, somewhat imposing tree when it matures.
v1rt
Original Author
13 years ago
The two trees are like 13 ft apart. However, they're about 8 ft from the property line. I'm not sure if I should transplant them. The area where I planted them is the perfect place because they will give nice shade to the patio I recently built.

I've seen them here and they are large. I've also seen some that are narrower. Prolly, they might have been cut intentionally.

They are gorgeous! I don't have any pics of the one I saw near our place with flowers. Next time I go there, I'll make sure they're blooming! :)

Some folks are also pruning them down to 3 ft. It makes a nice large bush. :) I'll try that too!
tepelus
13 years ago
For anyone not familiar with Catalpa flowers, here's a picture of a cluster from my tree:

{{gwi:479721}}

Karen
v1rt
Original Author
13 years ago
Gorgeous! I've read that they're fragrant. Can you smell them from 10 feet away or you have to get close to the flower?
tepelus
13 years ago
I haven't noticed any scent to the flowers, at least not that I can remember.

Karen
giantslug
13 years ago
My Northern Catalpa trees have a mild scent that I can smell from at least 25 feet from the tree when it is blooming. The scent reminds me of Honeydew melon and plum tree blossoms, a very nice smell to me.
tepelus
13 years ago
I guess I just don't remember any smells, but I'll pay attention to it next year.

Karen
Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
13 years ago
Very nice flower picture Karen.

I like Catalpa very much. With winter coming up the way their branching structure always gets my attention is on my mind.
greenthumbzdude
13 years ago
Yea, catalpa grows all over the place where i live. These trees are suppose to be attractive to hummingbirds. There is a gigantic catalpa near my house thats about 6 feet in diameter.
v1rt
Original Author
13 years ago
Here is a catalpa tree that I posted here about 2 months ago. I wish my catalpa would come out like this.

{{gwi:402999}}

Related Stories

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Great Design Plant: Retreat to the Shade of Hardy Catalpa

By Jocelyn H. Chilvers

Big foliage and a towering height provide a shady respite in summer, but that's not all hardy catalpa offers dedicated gardeners

SPRING GARDENING Spring Gardens Are Waking — Here’s What to Do in March

By Annie Thornton

Excitement fills the air when gardens come back to life. These guides will help you make the most of yours

GARDENING GUIDES Northern California Gardener's September Checklist

Welcome to the best season for planting just about everything, and for tackling major landscaping projects to boot

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Winterberry Rouses Frosty Gardens

By Paintbox Garden

Energize dormant winter landscapes with this shrub's brilliant berries — and do right by hungry birds too

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Pretty Trees for Patios, Paths and Other Tight Spots

Choose trees for their size, shape and rate of growth — or shape them to fit your space. Here's how to get started

SAVING WATER 11 Ways to Save Water at Home

By Carol Crotta

Whether you live in a drought-stricken area or just want to help preserve a precious resource, here are things you can do to use less water

TREES Great Design Plant: Sabal Palm Enchants in Balmy Sites

By Steve Asbell

Towering and tolerant, this tree blends in, stands out and happily stars in vacation photos

GARDENING GUIDES 5 Best-Behaved Trees to Grace a Patio

Big enough for shade but small enough for easy care, these amiable trees mind their manners in a modest outdoor space

EXTERIORS Where Front Yards Collide: Property Lines in Pictures

By Mitchell Parker

Some could be twins; others channel the Odd Couple. You may never look at property boundaries the same way again

FALL GARDENING 6 Splendid Blue-Flowering Bulbs

By Therese Ciesinski

How do you blue? With colors from sky to cobalt, these bulbs will greet you merrily in a spring garden

Sponsored

More Discussions

Dappled willow tree damaged by deer

3

Japanese Maple for sun/shady deck

2

Paw paw seedlings or cuttings

7

Tree trimming suggestions

2

Sassafras Foliar Peculiarity

14