pineresin wrote: "Does the Catalpa tree flower when grown in a container? Only if the container is absolutely huge (containing several tonnes of soil)." Yeah, I'm not sure either if a containerized Catalpa will ever flower. Mine never have, though they are only 3-4 years old now (and I believe Catalpa's only flower after many years? Correct me if I'm wrong). However, we know that normally-large trees that are trained as bonsai can eventually flower, so I guess it is possible that a containerized Catalpa may flower also. But, don't take this to mean that you CAN'T grow a Catalpa for many years in a container. One simply needs to adopt some of the principles of bonsai culture to "train" a normally-large tree to grow in a relatively small container. Containerized Catalpa will need regular top AND root pruning to keep it in scale, and keep it healthy.

i have a number of catalpa trees growing wild behind my house down by a creek, and one that sprung up next to our chicken house i replanted in our yard and it put on pods this year, i don't know what type of catalpa tree it is but it grows wild here in Oklahoma, and i have seen some HUGE ones over in the houses that were put in 20 or so miles from me back in the late 1800s - it is a very impressive tree with very nice blossoms. Maybe I will pick some up off the ground this year, I would also love to see you get this tree, it really is a great hearty shade tree. My uncle has one that's probably 30 years old and only about 35 feet tall or so. I used to sell vegetables under it by the roadside when i was little.

Ha ha ha ha!!! My empress trees are growing like crazy now! I cut nicks off the top of the still bald catalpas and it's green under there so who knows...I hear they don't come back until May. Here's the funny: I was telling my Mom today that my plan is to have these container trees then put vines and stuff in them; well she just sees these cut back stalks (and doesn't know what we all know know about this) so she didn't think I was going to have trees in my containers, then she didn't think the empress trees would grow here. HA! From the time I showed them to her to the time we got back from dinner they had grown. She then remarked that I could probably sit right there and watch them grow. Probably. You know what though, out of 200+ seeds, only 7 came up. Luckily. I also planted some okra seeds in there and they sprouted in 24 hours. The containers are full of that $2 a bag cow manure they sell at walmart. Maybe it's even $1 a bag, whatever. I anticipate wild growth this year! And with the empress trees in a pot I can cut them back ea year right? We are having a good spring here in FL so far.

This tree does fantastic in my area, the Northern species atleast. The catalpa worm does not range in my area and these trees are blemish-free all year up here. A Chinese species has been planted in the area with pronged leaves and is seeding slightly, as evidence by the young trees around, but those small plants donÂt survive a really dry summer usually, but there are atleast 3 juvenile plants that are 15 feet tall now. Mature plants are very hardy here. Also pretty, but I prefer the northern.