26-395: Catalpa speciosa , commonly known as the northern catalpa , hardy catalpa , western catalpa , cigar tree or catawba , is a species of Catalpa native to the midwestern United States . The Latin specific epithet speciosa means "showy". Catalpa speciosa is a medium-sized, deciduous tree growing to 15–30 meters (49–98 ft) tall and 12 meters (39 ft) wide. It has
52-494: A slightly yellow-brown before dropping off. The catalpa tree is the last tree to grow leaves in the spring. The winter twigs of northern catalpa are like those of few other trees, having sunken leaf scars that resemble suction cups. Their whorled arrangement (three scars per node) around the twigs is another diagnostic. The flowers are 3–6 cm (1.2–2.4 in) across, trumpet shaped, white with yellow stripes and purple spots inside; they grow in panicles of 10–30. The fruit
78-421: A trunk up to 1 meter (3 ft 3 in) in diameter, with brown to gray flaky bark . The leaves are deciduous, opposite (or whorled), large, heart shaped, 18–30 cm (7.1–11.8 in) long and 13–21 cm (5.1–8.3 in) broad, pointed at the tip and softly hairy beneath. The leaves generally do not color in autumn before falling; instead, they either fall abruptly after the first hard freeze, or turn
104-598: Is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae , native to warm temperate and subtropical regions of North America, the Caribbean, and East Asia. Most Catalpa are deciduous trees; they typically grow to 12–18 metres (40–60 ft) tall, with branches spreading to a diameter of about 6–12 metres (20–40 ft). They are fast growers and a 10-year-old sapling may stand about 6 metres (20 ft) tall. They have characteristic large, heart-shaped leaves, which in some species are three-lobed. The appearance of
130-410: Is a long, thin legume -like capsule, 20–40 cm (7.9–15.7 in) long and 10–12 mm (0.39–0.47 in) in diameter; it turns brown in the fall and often stays attached to tree during winter (and can be mistaken for brown icicles ). The pod contains numerous flat, light brown seeds with two papery wings. The northern catalpa is closely related to southern catalpa , and can be distinguished by
156-435: Is also a "pale" phase where the black striping is not as prevalent or missing altogether and a shade of white has replaced it. They grow to a length of about 5 cm (2.0 in) and feed on the leaves of the northern catalpa and, more commonly, the southern catalpa , also known as catawba or Indian bean trees. They are highly desired by fishermen as bait. Like most other Sphingidae , Ceratomia catalpae will burrow into
182-453: Is now naturalized in urban and rural areas. Farmers introduced the rapidly growing northern catalpa to Ohio to produce large amounts of timber for fenceposts. Three liabilities exist in urban areas where it is found as both a shade and an ornamental tree. Northern catalpa rains down fragments of its long fruits and fringed seeds from winter through spring, creating a cleanup chore. In addition, it often gets far too big for its allocated space in
208-557: The UK it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society 's Award of Garden Merit (confirmed 2017). The wood is soft, like white pine, and light, weighing only 26 pounds per cubic foot when dry. It also does not rot easily; in earlier years it was used for fence posts and less than successfully as railroad ties. More modern uses that highlight the wood's beautiful grain include furniture, interior trim and cabinetry. Catalpa has one of
234-496: The caterpillars . When caterpillars are numerous, infested trees may be completely defoliated. Defoliated catalpas produce new leaves readily, but with multiple generations occurring, new foliage may be consumed by subsequent broods. Severe defoliation over several consecutive years can cause death of trees. Because the caterpillars are an excellent live bait for fishing, some dedicated anglers plant catalpa mini-orchards for their own private source of " catawba-worms ", particularly in
260-615: The southern states . Catalpa is also occasionally used as a tonewood in guitars. Dehiscence (botany) Ceratomia catalpae Ceratomia catalpae , the catalpa sphinx , is a hawk moth of the family Sphingidae . The species was first described by Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1875. Other common names are the Catawba worm, or Catalpa sphinx. Ceratomia catalpae is a native of southeastern North America and can be located on catalpa trees that grow within this region. It can be found from Maine , west to Iowa , south to Florida ,
286-558: The Gulf States and Texas . From oviposition of the eggs to pupation , about four weeks will pass. Where multiple broods occur, pupae will eclose in two weeks, or when conditions are suitable. Adult C. catalpae do not reflect the wonderful colors of their larvae. They are a dull brown color lacking the show-off appearance of its larval stages. Translucent, milky-white, green, or yellowish eggs are oval, being about 0.5 mm in diameter. Eggs are deposited in masses of 100-1000 eggs on
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#1732905982461312-560: The best live baits, and the tree may be planted strictly for this purpose, and has earned the tree common names of worm tree, or bait tree. Although northern catalpa can have several diseases and pests, most are usually minor and pose no serious threat. The exception is the caterpillar of Ceratomia catalpae , which can on occasion defoliate the tree, although without causing the tree much harm. Catalpa See text Catalpa ( / k ə - ˈ t æ l - p ə / , / k ə - ˈ t ɑː l - p ə / ), commonly also called catawba ,
338-403: The elements. The adult catalpa sphinx is brown with a circular band of dark brown or black surrounding its thorax . Each forewing has a small, dark mark towards the middle, with a white dot in the cell. The body is approximately 30 mm long. The wingspan is 65–95 mm. C. catalpae can be quite harmful to the catalpa tree during large outbreaks. The first trial of aerial crop dusting
364-601: The flowering panicles, which bear a smaller number of larger flowers, and the slightly broader seed pods. Catalpa 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 . However, in 1976, investigation of an archeological site of an island in West Virginia's portion of the Ohio River revealed Catalpa speciosa to be present on
390-403: The ground after its fifth and final instar in order to pupate. The larvae will go into a "wandering" stage where it leaves the catalpa tree and climbs to the ground to find a place to bury itself so that it may pupate. The larvae will then shed its fifth instar skin to reveal its pupal skin, which will be soft and almost translucent at first, but will then harden to a light brown for protection from
416-587: The island around the period of 1500-1700 CE. This suggests that Catalpa speciosa may have experienced a decline in range before European settlement. Today, its range has widely expanded east of the Rocky Mountains outside of its restricted pre-settlement location, further obscuring its true native range. It is widely planted as an ornamental tree . It is adapted to moist, high pH soil and full sun, but has been able to grow almost anywhere in North America. In
442-404: The landscape, and crowds out or casts too much shade on other desirable plants. Finally, its brittle wood, coupled with tree height, makes its branches at times subject to wind or ice damage. The tree is often sought out by fishing enthusiasts, not for the plant itself, but for a common parasite that is used as bait. The catalpa moth caterpillar, Ceratomia catalpae , is widely regarded as one of
468-551: The leaves sometimes causes confusion with species such as the unrelated tung tree ( Vernicia fordii ) and Paulownia tomentosa . Catalpa species bear broad panicles of showy flowers, generally in summer. The flower colour generally is white to yellow. In late summer or autumn the fruit appear; they are siliques about 20–50 centimetres (8–20 in) long, full of small flat seeds, each with two thin wings to aid in wind dispersal. The large leaves and dense foliage of Catalpa species provide good shelter from rain and wind, making
494-529: The lowest shrinkage/expansion rates of any U.S. hardwood. Only northern white cedar and redwood have lower shrinkage/expansion rates, and not by much. The wood's unique properties make it excellent for carving and boatbuilding. Often regarded as a weed tree, its wood is under-appreciated and underused. The tree's tendency to grow crooked does not help its reputation as a source of usable lumber. Northern catalpa has been extensively cultivated in Ohio for over 200 years, and
520-566: The mid Miocene. The living North American species C. bignonioides and C. speciosa seem to have originated from a back-migration to North America from East Asia, probably during the late Miocene. The name derives from the Muscogee name for the tree, "kutuhlpa" meaning "winged head" and is unrelated to the name of the Catawba people . The spellings "Catalpa" and "Catalpah" were used by Mark Catesby between 1729 and 1732, and Carl Linnaeus published
546-505: The northern species has slightly larger leaves, flowers, and bean pods. Flowering starts after 275 growing degree days . Catalpa ovata from China, with pale yellow flowers, is also planted outside its natural range for ornamental purposes. This allowed C. bignonioides and C. ovata to hybridize, with the resultant Catalpa × erubescens also becoming a cultivated ornamental. Sources: (GRIN accepts 8 species) (KEW accepts 8 species) The genus likely originated in North America, with
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#1732905982461572-726: The oldest fossils of the genus being seeds from the Early Oligocene ( Rupelian ) of Oregon , USA. Fossil species are also known from the Late Oligocene ( Chattian ) of Europe, but they appear to have become extinct in the region by the Miocene epoch. The fossil species Catalpa hispaniolae known from Dominican amber indicates the presence of the genus in the Caribbean by the Miocene. Fossil leaves from China indicate their presence in East Asia by
598-414: The tree's name as Bignonia catalpa in 1753. Giovanni Antonio Scopoli established the genus Catalpa in 1777. The bean-like seed pod is the origin of the alternative vernacular names Indian bean tree and cigar tree for Catalpa bignonioides and Catalpa speciosa , respectively. The tree is the sole source of food for the catalpa sphinx moth ( Ceratomia catalpae ), the leaves being eaten by
624-750: The trees an attractive habitat for many species of birds. They do not present many threats of falling limbs, but the dark-brown fruit husks that they drop in late summer may be a nuisance. Though Catalpa wood is quite soft, it is popular for turning and for furniture when well seasoned, being attractive, stable and easy to work. Most catalpas begin flowering after roughly three years, and produce fruit after about five years. The two North American species, Catalpa bignonioides (southern catalpa) and Catalpa speciosa (northern catalpa), have been widely planted outside their natural ranges as ornamental trees for their showy flowers and attractive shape. Northern and southern catalpas are very similar in appearance, but
650-458: The undersurface of leaves, while smaller masses are deposited onto branches on the catalpa tree. Eggs incubate and hatch five to seven days after oviposition . The larval stage of C. catalpae is known as the catalpa or catawba worm. When first hatching, the larvae are very pale, but become darker toward the last instars . The yellow caterpillars will usually have a dark, black stripe down their back along with black dots along their sides. There
676-591: Was an attempt to control the catalpa sphinx. However, more recent research may indicate the caterpillars are not as harmful as once thought. The research of Stephen L. Peele, curator of the Florida Mycology Research Center, indicates that catalpa trees might be completely defoliated multiple times during a single summer yet still survive and return to full health, a process which, Peele says, no other tree could survive. "They always come back. They always look healthy," says Peele. "I have tried to understand
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