Genus: Catalpa

Leave them until spring, then pot up individually and grow them on

Hi Taras, 7 would be heaps!!! Just if you have them in one big pot leave them for the first year, otherwise, put each one in a pot and look after them. They will loose their leaves in winter, but come spring you should see some sprouting. I have had many seedlings in my garden underneath and everywhere else for that matter from my Catalpa trees. In the end I had to pull them out anyway. But I ended up having about 7 huge catalpa trees. They like pruning every now and then, every 3 years I would say, to keep them strong and bushy. I think they are one of the most attractive and shady trees I can think of. Right at this time they are flowering in the South and it's pleasing for the eye and nose.
You don't want any more than 7 trees, do you have a huge garden???

I have a magnificent mature Catalpa which is pruned every two years but not vigorously, keeping the shape, as otherwise it becomes too big for the garden. So far it has flowered every year and produced the beans which follow.
Love it until the Autumn !

Gorgeous, looks like an orchid flower.

It definitely grows in England, I've seen them there as well as in Holland. They are an average size tree, the oldest ones I had were about 5 meters high and they didn't grow further. They were about 35 years when I left the farm. They go dormant in winter, make a mess in autumn with their huge leaves, and again with the floweresttes dropping in summer. They flowered for about a month in spring. Flowers have a faint sweet smell. They don't do well near the coast as I've seen my friend trying one of my seedlings in her garden. They don't like the salty wind. Perhaps in England they won't grow that tall, as the summers are not as hot. It also provides a lot of shade, so if near your lawn it would not do much good to the lawn as that needs full sun. Maybe you can grow them on the verge of the street, as they don't have a very wide rootsystem, one tall taproot in the middle. Good luck if you do grow them. They certainly make a statement spring and summer.

This is lovely Marguerite. My husband says it will grow in England.....but I should like to know how big it gets please. Our garden is pretty full now and nothing can be removed because I can't get rid of 50 years of memories.

i will try growing this plan if i can find it ill let you know how i get on
martha oneill

I looked into them about five years ago now... I think those that do survive this climate are usually grafted onto standards and rarely bloom. But you are right it has been five years and perhaps I could find more info now...but I prefer to grow something that will live willingly in my garden rather than feeling responsible for the survival of a lovely plant that won't.

Lori my book says Tulip trees don't flower until they are 20 years old. I don't think we will be in this house that long.

about the same time as tulips! lol.... I think they are a type of catalpa..could be wrong ...really should research before I jump in with my two cents...will give it a google and see what I can come up with...with just a cursory look it is a liriodrendron...poplar...grows very tall...native to the upper southern United States... Tennessee, etc. it is in the magnolia family...I think flcrazy has a pic of a blooming "poplar" ...now that I come to think of it... should give it a look... very pretty tree just like your catalpa.

No I don't have a tulip tree Lori. I will have to investigate the local nurseries and see whether they sell them here. When do they bloom?

Are you sure you can't grow Catalpa Lori? they are pretty hardy.

Yes! Grammazoo...orchids... or huge streptocarpus...lol. Oh I wish I could grow this.

Do you have a tulip tree, Chris? I haven't seen these blossoms either..would love to have a catalpa but it is not hardy enough for my region...checked them out a couple of years ago. Tulip trees are beautiful and marginal here... I've seen one that is 60 ft. tall...must be ancient...and it blooms very close to the banks of the St.Lawrence Seaway...

Hi Chrispook - thanks for explanation.

Wow Spritz fancy I've got something you hadn't seen!!!!! Interesting you don't see them in bloom Gillian. In Budapest they are allover the place blooming their big heads off.

Sadie, pollarding is when tha branches are cut back right to the trunk in early Spring. It looks very drastic, thats why I asked the question because I wondered whether it was good for the tree or not. Some trees end up looking quite deformed with big lumpy growths at the beginning of the branches. I still am not sure whether I will do it, although our experienced GOY friends have been reassuring.

Glad you like it Flcrazy. It seemd to like our climate which is hot summers and cold winters. They are quite popular here, but you don't see so many in UK, so maybe they prefer extremes. Our soil is sandy but I don't know whether this is a factor. Hope you can grow Catalpa in N Carolina.

Please what is "pollard"?

Well, you've got me googling another plant, and if this one will survive in my climate, it's most definitely going to be mine !

gosh that is very pretty

This is beautiful

I love this plant, such a unique and striking flower pattern.

There! You learn something new every day - I didn't know they flowered like that!

How lovely

Mmmmmm! Thanks!

Like little orchids!

Aren't the flowers pretty, Chris? I love stopping under the one down the street and just enjoying! (It overhangs the sidewalk so I don't have to intrude.)

I've seen many catalpa trees here but never one in bloom - beautiful!

It's exciting when something blooms for the first time.

Thanks for all the advice. I guess we need to decide before next Spring whether to pollard or not to pollard. At the moment it has it's first flowers coming out and very pretty they are too.

I didn't mean to actually pollard now Spritz,I meant whilst the tree is still young.My sexy tree surgeon (diet coke ad type of man) told me it's better to decide whilst the tree is still young.:-)

Hi Chris - Catalpa bignoniodes is one of my very favorite trees lucky you to have one! Catalpas are often pollarded - it is supposed to produce huge leaves if pollarded. Whether or not it is actually good for the tree, i don't know. But it is a fact that pollarded and coppiced trees tend to live a great deal longer than the others. Catalpas are such pretty trees, tho. I'd be tempted to just leave it as is. Hope this helps! S.

Ours are done when the trees are dormant just before they start into growth. (Poplars and Hazel)

Hi Chris ,you'll have to decide pretty soon as the quicker the pollarding begins the better the results or at least that was what our tree surgeon told me.It's a case of balancing the root growth with the tree's growth.You pollard to keep a large tree small and limit it's root spread but it's always seemed such a shame to me.It's supposed to be better than "topping" a tree to keep it in bounds.

Well, I suppose you keep it under control so that it doesn't grow too big, and the leaves will be bigger. People do this to the 'Forest Pansy' tree to get larger leaves.

There is one down the street from me that is so nice! It has lovely white flowers in spring and the seed pods are over a foot long.I think you will enjoy yours!