OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Lamiids: Lamiales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Catalpa speciosa   FAMILY Bignoniaceae   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Catalpa speciosa   FAMILY Bignoniaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)

Catalpa speciosa

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 167-03-002:

Catalpa speciosa   FAMILY Bignoniaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Catalpa speciosa

 

COMMON NAME:
Northern Catalpa, Indian Cigar Tree, Catawba Tree


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Catalpa speciosa, Northern Catalpa, Indian Cigar Tree, Catawba Tree

Manual of the Trees of North America (Exclusive of Mexico) (Sargent, 1905)    mtna_i_904

        

image of Catalpa speciosa, Northern Catalpa, Indian Cigar Tree, Catawba Tree

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_casp8_001_lvd

        

image of Catalpa speciosa, Northern Catalpa, Indian Cigar Tree, Catawba Tree

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide    pnd_casp8_013_lvd

        

image of Catalpa speciosa, Northern Catalpa, Indian Cigar Tree, Catawba Tree

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_c_speciosa_bc_11

January        

image of Catalpa speciosa, Northern Catalpa, Indian Cigar Tree, Catawba Tree

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_c_speciosa_bc_11106_1

January        

Bark ridged or deeply fissured; not as scaly as in C. bignonioides, per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).

image of Catalpa speciosa, Northern Catalpa, Indian Cigar Tree, Catawba Tree

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_c_speciosa_bc_11106_7

January        

image of Catalpa speciosa, Northern Catalpa, Indian Cigar Tree, Catawba Tree

JK Marlow    jkm190509_8281

May    Spartanburg County    SC

Corolla 4-6cm wide, the lower lobe sparsely spotted with purple, notched, per Weakley's Flora.

image of Catalpa speciosa, Northern Catalpa, Indian Cigar Tree, Catawba Tree

JK Marlow    jkm190509_8282

May    Spartanburg County    SC

Fresh foliage essentially odorless; leaves long-acuminate, per Weakley's Flora.

image of Catalpa speciosa, Northern Catalpa, Indian Cigar Tree, Catawba Tree

JK Marlow    jkm190509_8284

May    Spartanburg County    SC

Leaves pubescent beneath, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Catalpa speciosa, Northern Catalpa, Indian Cigar Tree, Catawba Tree

JK Marlow    jkm190509_8286

May    Spartanburg County    SC

image of Catalpa speciosa, Northern Catalpa, Indian Cigar Tree, Catawba Tree

JK Marlow    jkm090808_049

August    Floyd County    GA

Berry College

Georgia State Champion Tree.

image of Catalpa speciosa, Northern Catalpa, Indian Cigar Tree, Catawba Tree

JK Marlow    jkm090808_052

August    Floyd County    GA

Berry College

Capsules 23-60cm long, 10-20mm diameter, per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).


click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE fruit of Catalpa species

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Catalpa speciosa   FAMILY Bignoniaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Catalpa speciosa   FAMILY Bignoniaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Catalpa speciosa

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 167-03-002:
Catalpa speciosa   FAMILY Bignoniaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Catalpa speciosa

 

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290

Tree
Perennial

Habitat: Bottomland forests, stream banks, and mesic upland forests (as a native), also old fields, roadsides, moist disturbed areas, suburban woodlands, eastwards of its native range escaped or persistent after cultivation, and sometimes thoroughly naturalized, per Weakley's Flora

Native: west of Carolinas & Georgia, early naturalized in a more widespread area

Uncommon in Carolina Mountains & NC Piedmont (rare elsewhere in GA-NC-SC)

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

LEAVES:
Deciduous
Simple
Opposite or rarely whorled

FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
White, lower lobe sparsely spotted with purple
Bilaterally symmetrical
5-merous
2-lobed calyx
2-lipped corolla
2 fertile stamens
Bisexual

FRUIT:
Summer
Capsule

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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