According to Dave's Garden, these are available through Forestfarm and Shooting Star Nursery if you cannot find them locally. I suggest that you call Lichtenfelt Nurseries (864) 458-9864 in Greenville, SC if you haven't already done so. They may be able to help you find a local source if they do not have them. My grand parents farm in Cleveland co., NC and their neighbors always had one of these trees when I was growing up. My uncles used the caterpillars as fishing bait.

Here is a link that might be useful: Catawba Tree Sources

Thanks ralphw! Cleveland Co. Is such a beautiful place! It is about 45 minutes from me.

Ironically, I shop quite often at Lichtenfelt and called them after lunch today. They thought I meant a Catawba Crape Myrtle. I also have checked Dave's Garden and will probably order from Shooting Star. I think they are out of KY.

I was hoping to buy one locally. It is such a neat tree. We are on some acreage so I have room to let one grow.

I don't know anything about Southern Catalpa trees, but this thread brought back a memory. In coastal New England, one of my many aunts was quite the gardener (now I'm wishing I'd listened up better!). She had the passalong plant thing down to a science and no matter if you didn't have any place for her rootings, you got it anyway!

One of her favorite donations was branches off her (very huge, species unknown) Caltalpa tree, well rooted in but a bucket of water. I kept trying to explain to her that I lived in a basement apartment, but she could not be deterred. Sadly, quite a few rooted Catalbas bit the dust on my watch.

Great Story zigzag!

One of the trees in Roswell was on public property and I looked everywhere under the tree for seedlings. There was plenty of poison oak but no Catalpa Seedlings.

We ate at a restaurant in Roswell GA named Greenwoods and they had a Catalpa that was trimmed to stay a small tree. They had it pruned to make a walkway underneath it. It was in bloom and beautiful.

The only thing about Shooting Star Nursery is that the plants would be small in 2.5 -3.5 inch containers. I wish I could find one in a larger pot.

I found a source for the Northern Catalpa but it grows much larger than the Southern Catalpa.

Since we are discussing the Catalpa tree, I have to mention that here in Raleigh at the J C Raulston Arboretum, there is a hybrid of it with the desert willow, Chilopsis linearis from the American southwest. This hybrid is called xChitalpa tashkentensis 'Morning Cloud' and it has very pretty white flowers with a pale pink throat. Because it is a hybrid, the flowers do not develop into seed pods. Because its other parent is adapted to desert conditions, this tree is more able to tolerate drought and in fact cannot tolerate wet conditions. The leaves on both it and the Catalpas at the Arboretum get completely eaten several times during the summer by the Catalpa Spinx moth (fishing bait) caterpillars, but seem unfazed by the experience. Even though both parents are native American species, the first successful hybrids were made in the Republic of Kazakstan, thus the species name tashkentensis

I love Greenwoods! I hope you had some pie. Swallow at the Hollow across the street is very good too.

The catalpas are definitely in bloom now and I see them here and there, especially near lakes. It seems folks with a lake made sure to plant one nearby to have plenty of "worms" on hand.

We found Greenwoods while exploring. The servings were huge and we had no room for dessert!

If Yadkinville is within reach, call Fern Valley Farms, 336-463-2412.

Thanks for the reply.
Yadkinville is about 4-5 hours from me.:(
I checked to see if they had a website but can not find one.
I am trying to find one within about 2- 2.5 hours from upstate SC.

Isst, did you ever find or plant the catalpa tree? I'm looking to plant northern catalpa in 8a