Southern tree with large leaves. Catalpa (tree): photo, description. Landing and care. What pests and diseases threaten catalpa
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Catalpa bignoniform, magnolias are not even a relative.
What is a catalpa tree?
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Vegetation at the catalpa begins in mid-May. Shoot growth stops in August. Leaf fall comes after frost. The leaves often fall off while still quite green. beautiful, large, fragrant flowers creamy white in color, with a wavy edge, inside with two yellow stripes and numerous purple-brown dots, collected in wide panicles 15-20 cm long, make an indelible impression on contemplators. Catalpa blooms in late June - early July for 20-25 days. At this time, not a single tree species usually blooms anymore, so the catalpa becomes a real decoration of any garden and park composition.
Catalpa, this unusual tree because of the shape of the pods, it is sometimes called a macaroni tree, and in its homeland - North America - a cigar tree.
Varieties for Russian gardens
An overview of the catalpa plant from an expert on video:
It is necessary to avoid places with a close location of groundwater. The acidity of the soil is neutral. Distance between landing pits can be from 3 to 6 meters, depending on the chosen forms. Add ash, leafy soil, sand and peat to the bottom of the pit. After planting, spill the seedlings with water and mulch the tree trunks with peat soil.
- Purpurea, red-brown leaves when blooming
- Immediately after the tree fades, long, up to 40 cm, narrow pods appear in place of the inflorescences. They fully mature only by October, but do not fall off, but remain on the tree almost until spring. Giving snowy garden exotic look.
- In Russia, trees from the genus Catalpa began to appear in the middle of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Grown in botanical gardens, but were gradually adapted to the climate of various regions of Russia. Currently, many species winter well at negative temperatures up to -25 degrees. Young plants or annual growths are more likely to freeze.
Catalpa is magnificent
Representatives of the genus Catalpa grow in the natural forests of North and South America, Asia. With large leaves original flowers, catalpa tree or shrub, is also in demand among gardeners.
Catalpa bignonioides
bigoniform catalpa
The macaroni tree is popularly called one of the most beautiful trees in the world - catalpa. This plant is from the bignoniaceae family, the genus includes about 10 species. Most of them are native "Americans", because the North American continent is considered the birthplace of catalpas. They say that even the name of the macaroni tree - "catalpa" - was given by the Indians.
- Fruits (pods up to 45 cm long) adorn the tree from the second half of August and throughout the winter. By the way, it is thanks to them that catalpa is also called "pasta tree".
- The genus CATALPA (Catalpa Scop.) belongs to the Bignoniaceae family (Bignoniaceae Pers.) and has 10 species.
- From North America, China and Japan, beautiful catalpas arrived to us - trees belonging to the Bignonev family. Their genus consists of 13 species, forms and varieties. And among them there are both deciduous and evergreen plants. The catalpa tree (see photo below) takes root without problems in rich, well-drained and light soils and in well-lit places. It loves moisture and blooms for about a month, and the catalpa fruits are long and thin, like green icicles. They can hang on a tree almost all winter, giving it original look. Of all the species of this plant in our area, three are most often cultivated.
- In the first two years, if possible, cover the plantings for the winter.
All forms are rather slow growing. Nana shows the best winter hardiness, although it can also be subjected to freezing and winter drying. The maximum height is 4.5 meters, oval leaves, flowers with purple speckles and yellow stripes. The fruits do not have time to ripen.
catalpa ovoid
Catalpa is magnificent decorative variety- spray, which is distinguished by the original "powdered" surface of the leaves.
In the conditions of Russian gardens, it is a very tall shrub or trees no higher than 7-12 meters. They are mainly represented by three types:
Landing and care
Among the Maya Indians, the tree was fanned with legends and fairy tales, it was considered a tree of happiness.
bird cherry
And in the fall, when the flowering period ends, the catalpa turns into the very pasta tree that the BBC journalists joked about: in place of the inflorescences, bunches of long, up to forty centimeters, pods are formed, shaped like thick pasta. The tree retains such an outfit throughout the winter. Each "pasta" has a huge amount of flying seeds, but they have only 10 percent germination.
Many people compare the decorative qualities of horse chestnut, widely used in urban landscaping, and catalpa. Indeed, large embossed leaves and inflorescences, reminiscent of candelabra with candles, make catalpa indispensable even in single plantings. Especially when you consider that the crown of an adult tree reaches several meters in diameter. Catalpa has been used in culture since 1726.
Catalpa begins to bloom at about the fifth year of life.
Catalpa in landscape and landscape compositions
Representatives of the genus are picturesque deciduous, rarely evergreen trees, with a rounded crown, opposite, sometimes whorled, heart-shaped, very large leaves (30x17 cm) on long petioles.
And the common catalpa, or bignoniform, belongs to them. She came to us from North America, where in wild nature reaches a height of 20 meters (cultivated above 10 meters does not grow). In this tree, the crown has a spherical spreading shape, and the leaves are ovate and large, up to 20 centimeters in length. Its flowers are white, fragrant and large, with purple dots. They are collected in panicles 25 cm long.
In more southern regions, with mild winters, feed the tree two to three times per season organic fertilizers based on compost or rotted manure. All other agricultural technology, including the fight against diseases and pests, has no fundamental differences from others. garden trees, so any gardener can master it.
The most frost-resistant and, unlike the magnificent and bignoniform, has a short growing season. All young shoots have time to become woody before the onset of cold weather, so it practically does not freeze. Withstands frosts down to -29 degrees. It may also be in shrub multi-stemmed forms.
This representative of the genus reaches a height of up to 10 - 12 meters. High straight trunks are crowned with a spherical crown. Leaves up to 20 cm long. Flowering is quite long, up to 40 days. Flowering period July - August It has several decorative forms:
OgorodSadovod.com
Magnificent and ordinary catalpa - a tree for garden design
Bignoniform catalpa
The genus Catalpa is represented by 13 various types. Some of them came to Europe and Russia from America, others from Asian countries, Japan and China.
Not bird cherry, but not magnoli
This is just like the expression "hang noodles on your ears."
Flowers are characterized by bright orchid coloring.
A characteristic feature of the catalpas growing in our region is very late, sometimes in the first decade of June, leaf blooming, especially after a cold winter. It seems that the trees have died, and they suddenly start growing and develop beautifully. All catalpas are not frost-resistant enough in our conditions, however, with age, their winter hardiness increases greatly.
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Does pasta grow on trees? What is popularly called macaroni tree? Answer with photo details is welcome.
I'll be better
Funnel-shaped, white or cream flowers with large dark spots and dots in the throat are collected in large erect, paniculate inflorescences. Quite large (up to 7 cm long), openwork catalpa flowers are somewhat reminiscent of foxglove bells. The pyramidal inflorescences formed by them, consisting of several dozen flowers, from a distance look like "candles" of horse chestnut. During flowering, the tree has a very "tropical" appearance.
Catalpa (tree) blooms in June-July 30-40 days. Its fruits are similar to reddish-brown boxes, having a length of 20-40 centimeters. They ripen in October and hang on the tree all winter. The vegetation of this plant begins in May, the growth of shoots ends in August, and after frosts the leaves fall, and often still green. Catalpa is a tree that has several cultivars. These include Kene - a plant with yellowish leaves, Aurea with golden leaves and Nana - a small tree up to 4 meters in height with a rounded dense crown.
Due to its exotic appearance, catalpa can be used in single plantings, like a tapeworm plant. Low Nanas are suitable for small gardens and adjacent areas.
All types can be used in the design of gardens and parks.
Aurea, the leaves are golden at the beginning of the growing season
magnificent catalpa
Typical representatives of the genus are trees or shrubs with very large leaves. The leaf shape is oval. There are representatives with leaves in the shape of a heart. It was these leaves that personified the hearts of warriors in Indian tales. The flowers near the tree are very fragrant, large bells, often white, with specks and stripes. Flowering is quite long, falls on June - July.
Is it a tree, some kind of shrub? bird cherry type
The Italian catalpa pasta tree in bloom is so fragrant, as if it were intertwined lilac and jasmine bushes and compete to smell who. http://krissja.livejournal.com/888971.html
All summer in the southern regions of the country, catalpas delight the eye with lush flowering. From a distance, the trees look like mountains covered with snow. And if you look inside the flower, it will amaze you with an unusually bright predatory color, reminiscent of an orchid outfit.
Very popular and widespread in Europe. They are used to create alleys, in compositions of various sizes. Resistant to the urban environment.
The fruit is a long, hanging, pod-like capsule up to 45 cm long, filled with a mass of flying seeds. The fruits remain hanging on the branches almost all winter, giving the tree a rather original pasta look.
From North America, a magnificent catalpa was brought to our region, which in its homeland grows up to 40 meters. In Russia, in the middle lane it is difficult to find such a plant above 7 meters. Nevertheless, catalpa is a tree that pleases Russians with its decorative look: a slender trunk with a crown resembling a tent, and large ovate leaves. In bloom, this plant is especially beautiful. It is profusely covered with panicle inflorescences of creamy white and fragrant flowers, each of which has two yellow stripes inside and bright brown-red specks. The fruits of this tree hang from the branches in the form of long pods. They acquire this form already in July, but only in early October they fully ripen. And these fruits also hang on trees all winter. Catalpa magnificent at a young age grows quite quickly, its growth is up to a meter per year. It is relatively drought-resistant, loves light and does not tolerate spring floods and close groundwater.
The park paths decorated with catalpa also look great. Sprawling catalpas are great for wide alleys, for narrow paths it is better to use bignoniform catalpa Nana.
Best time to land exotic tree- it is spring. You can buy seedlings in specialized nurseries and garden centers.
NR
Nana, has a crown in the form of a compact ball, the diameter of which reaches from 2 to 4 meters
Catalpa ovoid
After flowering, fruits appear in their place - pods. The length of the fruit in some species reaches half a meter, the width is up to 1.5 cm. From afar, narrow and long pods resemble spaghetti or pasta hanging from the branches. In natural habitats, catalpa can reach a height of 40 meters.
macaroni tree (catalpa)
I
Catalpa is a macaroni tree. Fruits in long pods - look like pasta.
Martinez
Everything is clear with you :)
http://fiton-saratov.ru/?page_id=476
Here you can most often meet the magnificent catalpa (C. speciosa Ward.) and bignoniform (C. bignonioides Walt.). Both of them came to Europe from the east of North America, where their natural habitat is quite moist and rich soil on the banks of rivers and reservoirs. At home, catalpas reach a height of 20-30 m. In our climatic zone, as a rule, they do not exceed 10-15 m.
The ovoid catalpa is a tree that comes from China. It has a sprawling shape and reaches 6-10 meters in height. Its flowers are also creamy white, fragrant, collected in panicles up to 25 centimeters long. This catalpa is photophilous, demanding on soil fertility and moisture. And it blooms in July-August.
martin
If there is a reservoir in the garden, then this plant is simply created to decorate its banks. You can combine shapes with purple and gold leaves.
star Rain
It is better to choose a place as protected from the wind as possible. Since large leaves can break in strong winds, and in winter time the plant is also afraid of cold winds. Poor soils are desirable, since on fatty soils, the plant will give a large vegetative gain for summer season, which does not have time to lignify and freeze over the winter.
Kene, yellow leaves with a green center
The plant perfectly withstands the climatic conditions of central Russia. In height reaches 10 meters. It has a straight slender trunk, a lush hipped crown and very large, up to 25 cm, oval leaves. By mid-June, the plant is covered with panicles of inflorescences of light cream or white flowers, brown speckled and yellow striped. Depending on the region, flowering lasts from two weeks to a month.
What tree?
Elena Rudkovskaya
Some wild-growing species are a source of valuable wood, similar in characteristics to oak wood. But among gardeners in Russia, catalpa gained recognition precisely because of its attractive appearance, beautiful flowers and leaves, and bizarre fruits.
The catalpa is majestic. Forms long pods like a bean, but inside the seeds of the lionfish. In Saratov, I think it will freeze.
Valery Melnikov
(Catalpa), a genus of plants from the bignoniaceae family. Deciduous trees with large leaves. Flowers with a bell-shaped two-lobed corolla, white, spotted inside, collected in large racemes or panicles. The fruit is an elongated capsule up to 40 cm with numerous seeds, at the ends of which are bundles of soft hairs. 11 species, from East Asia and North America. In the USSR, in the south of the European part (up to the latitude of Voronezh and Saratov), mainly K. bignonioides (C. bignonioides), as well as K. beautiful (C. speciosa), K. Bunge (C. Bungei) and K. ovoid (C. .ovata). K. is propagated by seeds, cuttings, root offspring. Grows well in light, moist soils; photophilous. K. wood is light, soft, well resists decay. The seed oil of K. bignoniform contains eliostearic acids (about 30%), dries quickly and hardens in the light. All K. are very decorative.
Plant catalpa (lat. Catalpa) belongs to the genus of the Bignoniaceae family, whose representatives grow in North America, the West Indies, Japan and China. The Indians used the bignoniform catalpa species as medicinal plant for the treatment of malaria and whooping cough, calling it "catoba", and the Italian doctor and botanist Scopoli, who first described this genus, without malice distorted its Indian name - "catalpa". According to various sources, the genus has from 10 to 38 species, some of them are grown as ornamental plants in different regions of the world, including Ukraine, Belarus and southern Russia.
Planting and caring for catalpa (in short)
- Bloom: from the fifth year of life for 3-3.5 weeks in mid-June or early July.
- Landing: in spring (before the start of sap flow) or in October.
- Lighting: bright sunlight.
- The soil: to fill the pit, a mixture of humus, sand is prepared, leaf ground and peat in the ratio 3:2:2:1.
- Watering: weekly, in dry weather - more frequent. Water consumption - 2 buckets per mature plant. If the season is relatively cool and with rain, then watering can be reduced to 2-3 times a month.
- Top dressing: twice a season, 5-6 liters of a solution of rotted manure (1:10) are added to the near-stem circle of each plant, Nitroammophos is fertilized in the spring, and potassium-phosphorus fertilizer is applied in the fall.
- Pruning: sanitary and formative pruning is best done in early spring, until the buds open.
- Reproduction: summer cuttings and seeds.
- Pests: spanish flies, horntails.
- Diseases: verticillium wilt.
Read more about growing catalpa below.
Catalpa tree - description
Decorative catalpa is a picturesque deciduous or evergreen tree up to 20 m high with a rounded crown. The leaves of many catalpas are opposite, sometimes whorled, heart-shaped, long-petiolate and very large - about 30x17 cm. . Catalpa fruits - pod-shaped hanging boxes up to 40 cm long - are filled with numerous flying seeds. Flowering of catalpa begins in mid-June or early July, and the original fruits of the plant remain on it all winter.
Planting catalpa
Catalpa planting and care are carried out in accordance with general rules growing any decorative tree. One to two year old catalpa seedlings can be purchased at garden centers or directly from nurseries. They plant catalpa in the spring, before the start of sap flow, or after leaf fall in sunny, wind-protected places, because in drafts they are large, but very tender leaves trees may be damaged. It is desirable that in the area where the catalpa will grow, ground water buried at great depths. Catalpa needs a lot of space: a distance of 4-5 m should be maintained between it and other plants. The composition of the soil with which you will fill a hole 1 m deep and 70 cm in diameter should be something like this: sand (2 parts), humus (3 parts) , peat (1 part) and leafy ground (2 parts). To this soil mixture should be added 50 g of phosphate rock and 5 to 8 kg wood ash. The acidity of the soil should be in the range of 6.5-7.5 pH.
At the bottom of the pit, a fifteen-centimeter layer of drainage material must be laid, which may consist of broken brick or rubble, then the pit is filled almost to the top with fertile soil mixture, after that, the roots of the seedling are lowered into it, fill the remaining space of the pit fertile soil, lightly tamp the surface and water abundantly. Try to position the seedling in the hole so that it root neck when planting, it turned out to be slightly above ground level, in the expectation that after watering the soil would settle and the neck would be at surface level. When the water is absorbed, mulch the trunk circle with organic material, preferably peat.
Catalpa care
How to grow catalpa in the garden
Catalpa is moisture-loving, therefore it needs weekly watering, especially in hot and dry weather. If you make the plant thirsty, its leaves will lose turgor and hang, which will damage the decorativeness of the catalpa. Approximate water consumption - 2 buckets per adult plant. In cool or rainy summers, and also provided that the near-stem circle of the catalpa is mulched, you can water the tree 2-3 times a month. After watering or natural precipitation, it is easier to loosen the soil in the near-stem circle to a depth of up to 30 cm and get rid of weeds. In dry heat, catalpa is moistened more often.
Growing catalpa involves regular feeding of the plant: twice a season, a solution (1:10) of rotted manure should be added to the soil at the rate of 5-6 liters per adult tree. Catalpa responds well to spring top dressing Nitroammophos and autumn feeding with potash and phosphorus fertilizers: at this time of the year, the tree does not need nitrogen.
pruning catalpa
Pruning catalpa is best done in the spring, until the buds begin to swell on the tree: remove frozen, damaged, diseased and dry branches. A plant is usually formed with a trunk height of 1.2-2.0 m, above which the catalpa branches into a low spreading crown of 4-5 skeletal branches. In the future, the skeletal branches of the tree, if necessary, are shortened, and the thickening branches and shoots are cut out.
Pests and diseases of catalpa
Catalpa is resistant to both pests and diseases, but sometimes, if it is weakened, Spanish flies can cause trouble for it, from which the plant can be rid of by double treatment with Decis or Fastak pyrethroids. It is worse if stem pests of horntails settle on the catalpa - hymenoptera insects whose adults look like hornets. Females lay their eggs in catalpa wood, and the larvae that emerge from them make passages in it and clog them with drill flour. Trees damaged by larvae of horntails weaken and begin to dry. As a rule, catalpas in which horntails live cannot be saved. But you can save the tree with the help of prevention: healthy and strong plants are not affected by horntails.
If you noticed in the second half of summer that on the lower part of the crown of the catalpa the leaves began to droop, turn yellow and fall off, it is possible that she is suffering from wilt - verticillium wilt. It's heavy fungal disease, as a result of which the plant sometimes loses foliage on only one side and this makes it look one-sided. On early stage her disease can be cured if the tree is treated with Topsin-M, Fundazol and watered under the root with Maxim or Rovral. For preventive purposes, catalpa is treated with fungicides Previkur, Quadris or Falcon.
Catalpa in the Moscow region
If you want to start growing catalpa in the middle lane, then you need to start with the choice of planting material: you need winter-hardy seedlings. The most frost-resistant species is the magnificent catalpa. Catalpas ovoid and bignoniform are also acclimatized in the middle lane. Of the bignoniform catalpa varieties, they grow well in the Moscow region Aurea (a variety with golden leaves), Picta (a form with variegated, variegated foliage), Nana catalpa (a non-flowering compact form of a plant) and Plena (a variety with double flowers).
For successful cultivation catalpas must be performed certain conditions: place seedlings on well-lit and moistened neutral loams with south side from buildings or dense coniferous plantations, provide them with protection from the wind and shelter for the winter, at least for the first 2-3 years. Further winter-hardy varieties catalpas can not be insulated for the winter, and if they freeze in any year, they will easily recover in the next growing season.
Reproduction of catalpa
Catalpa reproduces well by seeds that do not require special processing, and summer cuttings.
Growing catalpa from seeds
Soaked for 8-12 hours warm water catalpa seeds are sown for seedlings in February or March. You can sow them in the fall, without pre-soaking. Sowing is carried out in grooves, after which the seeds are sprinkled with soil and covered with a film or glass. Contain crops at a temperature of 20-22 ºC, providing them good lighting without direct sun rays, regular watering and airing. The catalpa that has grown over the winter is planted from seeds in open ground in the spring, after warm weather sets in. As a rule, this happens in the second half of May.
Reproduction of catalpa cuttings
Cuttings are harvested in the second half of summer. Catalpa cuttings about 8 cm long with several buds are cut from mature trees, planted in a substrate of peat and sand, and covered with a transparent cap to create a greenhouse effect. Care for rooted cuttings is the same as for catalpa crops. As soon as you notice that new leaves began to appear on the cuttings, the rooting process can be considered successfully completed. Planted cuttings in open ground, like catalpa seedlings, in the second half of May.
Types and varieties of catalpa
Not many types of catalpa are grown in culture, and we will present them to you now.
Or bignoniform catalpa in nature grows along the banks of the rivers of North America. This tree is up to 20 cm high with a spreading, wide-rounded crown and thin-lamellar light brown bark. Noteworthy are the light green leaves of plants of this species, shaped like lilac leaves, but much bigger size: they reach a length of 20, and a width of 15 cm. From above, the leaves are bare, from below - pubescent along the veins, when rubbed, they emit bad smell. White fragrant flowers plants up to 5 cm long with red-brown specks and two yellow stripes in the throat are collected in loose pyramidal inflorescences up to 30 cm long and up to 20 wide. Flowering lasts about three weeks. The fruits of catalpa bignoniform are narrow pod-shaped boxes up to 40 cm long with small seeds. In culture, this species since 1726 has several decorative forms:
- golden (aurea)- catalpa with bright yellow leaves;
- Kene- a tree with yellow leaves in green veins and with dark spot in the middle of the leaf plate;
- low (nana)- bush form with a spherical crown.
Or beautiful catalpa originally from the east of North America, where it grows along the banks of lakes and rivers. This is a beautiful tree reaching a height of 30 m with a wide pyramidal crown and a slender trunk covered with gray thin-lamellar bark. The leaves of this species, shiny green and smooth on the upper side of the plate, up to 30 cm long and up to 15 cm wide, are located on long petioles and open earlier than the leaves of other types of catalpa. On the underside, they are slightly pubescent. Fragrant creamy-white catalpa flowers of magnificent length up to 7 cm with a wavy edge, decorated on the inside with purple-brown dots and two yellow stripes, form wide panicles 15-20 cm long. The fruit is a box up to 56 cm long, cracking when ripe into 2 leaves. Cultivated since 1800. the most famous decorative form is:
- powdery, or powdered- the leaves of this plant are decorated with many cream or white spots.
Originating from Central China, it reaches a height of 10 m, but in culture it grows no higher than 3.5 m, and in the middle lane due to frequent freezing it does not exceed 1.5 m. The crown of this plant is tent-shaped, spreading, the leaves are three-lobed, dark green, 20-30 long and up to 15 cm wide. The flowers are fragrant, creamy white with a purple throat, collected in paniculate inflorescences up to 25 cm long. The fruits are pod-shaped boxes up to 45 cm long. This species is demanding on fertility and soil moisture and light-loving.
Catalpa fargesa (Catalpa fargesii)
Under natural conditions, it is found in the warm forests of Western China. This is a deciduous tree up to 20 m high with lilac-like entire opposite simple green leaves on petioles up to 10 cm long. The pubescence on the underside of the leaf plate is denser than on the top. Flowers up to 3.5 cm long, pink or pinkish-purple with dark purple spots on the inside of the corolla, collected 7-15 pieces in paniculate inflorescences. Flowering of this species begins a month earlier than other catalpas. The species is highly decorative.
A tree or that many people want to admire. It comes from North America, where it reaches 10-12 meters in height. Extraordinarily beautiful. Catalpa managed to adapt to the conditions. Only planting and caring for it in this region have their own characteristics.
Acquaintance with a thermophilic southern woman
Most species have heart-shaped smooth bright green leaves. They reach a diameter of up to 25 cm.
Did you know? In the inflorescence, the catalpa has up to 50 flowers.
The fruit of the tree is a pod-box up to 55 cm long. They can be preserved in some regions on the tree all winter. The flowers are large inflorescences of extraordinary beauty, white or cream in color with a pleasant smell. They are similar in shape to an inflorescence. 
The crown of the tree is very dense and wide, the bark on the trunk is fine-fibered, with a tendency to crackle. Huge heart-shaped leaves, beautiful inflorescences gave the Mayans the inspiration to call it the "tree of happiness".
The grass under the tree does not grow, the bare place under it, resembling a halo, gave reason to call the catalpa "heavenly tree".
Did you know? According to one of the legends, the tree was called by the Indians the "Tree of Elephants and Monkeys", since the ears of elephants and the tails of monkeys were mixed in one tree, with which the leaves and pods of catalpa were associated. These long pods gave reason to call this tree "pasta".
Winter-hardy species
In central Russia, ordinary catalpa, bignoniform, hybrid, spherical catalpa can grow. In the Moscow region, its most frost-resistant species, such as the magnificent, beautiful, non-flowering standard form of the bignoniform catalpa Nana, will better take root.
The most frost-resistant of them - beautiful catalpa. It withstands temperatures down to -40 °C. In some parks there are trees over 50 years old. In the 1930s-1950s, the well-known breeder N.K. Vekhov made great progress in the topic of increasing the frost resistance of catalpa. 
In the Moscow region, it often reaches only 4 meters. But if you grow seeds and seedlings in the same region, do pruning, shelter, and feed correctly, then the tree will delight everyone with its beauty and size. 
Application in garden compositions
It can become an ornament of any garden composition. Due to the short stature of catalpa in this region, it is rarely used here as a separate one. More often, catalpa is made part of the overall composition, combining with deciduous and.
Often they frame paths, they well strengthen the soil on the banks of rivers and lakes, small fresh water bodies.
How to choose seedlings when buying
Site selection: soil and lighting
So that the tree does not give a large increase during the growing season, the soil must be poor, with. Too quickly formed and large growth of a tree is subject to greater freezing due to the fact that it did not have time to lignify.
It is very important to choose the right landing site. Light and heat-loving catalpa better fit sunny, sheltered from cold winds.
Important! Catalpa seedlings are very afraid of drafts.
Step by step process of planting seedlings
Catalpa seedlings can be planted in spring or autumn in soil close to neutral. Planted in spring are less prone to freezing. For such a finicky tree, the pit needs to be prepared a couple of weeks before planting the seedling. It is dug at a depth of 0.8-1.2 m and wide, taking into account the fibrous shape and size of the root. 
In the planting soil for catalpa, you need to add two parts of leafy soil, one part and two parts of sand. If necessary, a fertile layer of earth, 5-7 kg, and, for example, phosphate, can be added to the planting soil.
The pit is well watered. You need to water the seedling immediately after planting, the hole with peat.
Knowledgeable care
Warming must be done in time and removed in time so as not to interfere with the removal of moisture from the soil. 
Watering
Watering the seedling should be regular - 1-2 buckets once a week. Watering an adult tree should be more abundant, pouring up to 18 liters at a time. Watering should also be systematic - once a week. In this case, it is necessary to prevent stagnation of moisture, waterlogging. On cloudy days, water as needed.
top dressing
Catalpa seedlings need to be fed not immediately after planting. After a year or two, it is enough to feed them at the beginning of the growing season or with a sprinkle at the rate of 1 liter: 20 liters of water, pouring 1 bucket of this solution under the seedling.
An adult tree needs to be fed 2-3 times during the growing season. At the beginning and in the second half of the growing season, the tree must be fertilized with 5-6 liters of slurry in a ratio of 1:10 liters of water with water. applied once during the flowering period after watering.
Pruning and crown shaping
Crowns are an important part of catalpa care. 
Important! Pruning is carried out both to form a crown and to rid the tree of diseased and frozen branches at the beginning of the growing season.
Therapeutic pruning of all branches is carried out from autumn and during the dormant period of the plant. After such pruning, some branches may freeze. In this case, they are additionally cut off over the last of the living kidneys. Do it in the spring. In late spring and early summer, designers make decorative pruning.
Shelter for the winter
A heat-loving tree may suffer in climatic conditions suburbs.
For shelter, their trunks are wrapped in autumn before frosts with spruce branches or burlap, and the ground around the trunk is covered with leaves. In the spring, it is necessary to remove the insulation in time and loosen the soil to prevent the appearance of fungus in it.
With small patches inside. For them, the tree is also called summer.
Bignonioides (Catalpa bignonioides)
Bignonian catalpa came to us from the southeast of North America, where it grows on river plains and in deciduous forests. Likes soil, but at the same time cereal and moist. Has a deep root system very sensitive to damage.
Grows up to 10 m in height. The shoots are arranged in the form of a funnel, forming an asymmetric crown. They are covered with huge, up to 20 cm, heart-shaped leaves, which initially have a pale yellow color, and closer to flowering - green. 
During flowering, it blooms yellowish-white flowers up to 30 cm with specks inside. At the end of flowering, fruits-pods up to 40 cm long appear on it, which by the end summer period turn brown. Fall with the first. 
In our latitudes, it has become widespread, for which it is also called the common catalpa.
Important! Most of the species common in our country can withstand frosts of -35 ° C and even lower, but the frost resistance of a tree must be formed gradually. For the first two years, a tree grown from southern seeds does not have time to grow dense wood and in most cases freezes out.
Nana (Catalpa bignonioides "Nana")
Catalpa "Nana" reaches a height of 6 m, forming a spherical compacted dense crown of spreading branches covered with thin-lamellar light brown bark and light green heart-shaped leaves. Does not bloom and grows very slowly. Likes fresh loam, cereal and fertilized. 
This cultivar does not tolerate extreme heat and lack of water, so it must be plentiful and frequent. When growing catalpa, it must be borne in mind that the branches do not tolerate well, are sensitive to damage. The same applies to the root system, so you need to carefully loosen around it and try not to transplant it unnecessarily. It is used in single plantings for landscaping parks, streets, as well as in group plantings like in gardens. 
Bunge (Catalpa bungei)
The species came to our latitudes from Northern China, therefore it received the second name "Manchurian catalpa". 
It received its official name from the surname of the German botanist Alexander Bunge. In 1830-1831, he was the first European to collect wood samples during an expedition to Asia.
Catalpa of this species, according to the description, has pyramidal crown
. Triangular or oblong leaves have a wedge-shaped base, sometimes with sharp teeth on the sides. The bare leaves have a dark green tint, which brightens closer to the petioles. The petioles are up to 8 cm long, and the leaves themselves are 15 cm long. 
Inflorescences grow up to 3.5 cm in length, collected in 3-12 white corymbose flowers with purple spots. After flowering, fruits up to 25 cm long appear. This catalpa requires careful care, grows slowly, in northern latitudes it can freeze to the level of snow cover.
Did you know? Most of the catalpa species grow in the tropical forests of Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti. In cooler latitudes, six species grow wild, four of them in China and two more in the United States.
Magnificent (Catalpa speciosa)
The species has taken root perfectly in the middle lane, growing up to 10 m in height. Upright straight trunk crowns globular crown with very large oval leaves up to 25 cm in size. 
In mid-July, it is covered with abundant flowers of white or light cream color with yellow stripes and brown specks.
Flowers last from two weeks to a month, depending on the region of growth. At the end of flowering, fruits appear - long pods up to 40 cm. They remain on the tree up to, but ripen by October. 
The magnificent catalpa has a variety with special, slightly pubescent leaves, which is called pulverulenta. 
Tibetan (Catalpa tibetica)
This species was described later than all, in 1921, and slightly resembles an ovoid species. This is a small tree up to 5 m in height, but more often, which grows wild in mountain forests or bushes at an altitude of 2400-2700 m above sea level. The natural habitat is the northwest of Yunnan and the southeast of Tibet.
Broad ovate leaves are pubescent below, bare above and have a dark green tint. Size - 22-25 cm in width and length. Inflorescences are hairless, rather large (25 cm), corymbose-paniculate. The flowers on them grow up to 5 cm in diameter, have a yellowish-white color and light purple spots. They appear in the first half of summer. At the end of flowering, cylindrical fruits appear up to 1 cm in diameter and 30 cm in length, striped and narrowed towards the end. They contain oval seeds up to 2.5 cm in size.
Fargeza (Catalpa fargesii)
One of the largest types of catalpa. The tree grows up to 30 m in height natural environment growth - in the southwest of China, in the provinces of Yunnan, Sichuan, right up to the provinces. It mainly grows in the mountains. 
The leaves of the plant are of medium size - 12 cm wide and 20 cm long. Traditionally, the species has a triangular-heart-shaped or ovoid shape. Depending on the subspecies, they can be practically naked with slight pubescence or leathery, thick with yellow pubescence below. 
The flowers are medium to large in size, light pink or light purple in color with spots of a darker shade. Collected in a corymbose raceme of 7-15 flowers. Appear in the first half. 
At the end of flowering, a long cylindrical box appears up to 80 cm long and only 5-6 mm wide, which narrows towards the end. The middle contains small oblong oval seeds 9 mm long and 2.5 mm wide.
Did you know? European experts distinguish a subspecies of this species - Duclos. It has ovate-pointed leaves that are hairless when young. The flowers are slightly larger and have red spots below. However, botanists from China prefer to attribute it to the main species.
Ovate (Catalpa ovata)
About 2 thousand years ago, this species was brought to Japan from China, where it became obligatory plant near Buddhist temples. In 1849 he came from Japan to Europe. 
Catalpa ovoid is a tree up to 15 m in height, which has a spherical crown. Bare branches are covered ovate leaves up to 25 cm in length, often they have 3-5 pointed lobes. The base of the leaf is heart-shaped, while the end is pointed. Petioles grow up to 15 cm in length. The color of the leaves is green below with sparse pubescence along the veins, and the color is dull green above. 
A characteristic feature is unusual, as for catalpa, small flowers. They grow up to 2 cm, have a yellowish color, orange stripes and dark purple blotches. They appear in July-August, after which fruit-pods up to 30 cm long and 0.8 cm wide are formed in their place. But in our latitudes they may not be tied, and if they appear, they do not have time to ripen. Therefore, this catalpa has only vegetative propagation in our country. Under favorable conditions, it can bloom even in the first year of life. 
In the conditions of the middle zone, it is grown mainly as a tree, less often up to 5 m in height, often frosted over. In the territory Far East even when frozen, it can bear fruit. The only area where the tree reaches its natural size is the Black Sea coast.
Important! When growing catalpa seedlings for open ground, it is undesirable to germinate seeds in. The conditions there are very different from those that are present on the open ground, and the plant quickly adapts precisely to the conditions in which it has grown "since childhood".
Hybrid (Catalpa x hybrida Spath)
The tree of this species will grow up to 20 m in height, forming a wide rounded crown with spreading branches. They are covered with large leaves up to 15 cm wide and 20 cm long, which are green in color and slightly pubescent.
The catalpa tree is exotic plant able to attract the attention of even a sophisticated gardener. It amazes everyone around not only with its large leaves of saturated Green colour, creating a dense crown, but also an abundance of lush, fragrant inflorescences, which over time replace the original siliculose fruits.
These dwarf trees can have a powerful dense crown with spreading branches or a neat spherical shape. But no matter what kind the plants have, they are able to decorate any corner of your house adjoining area, summer cottage or park area. Thanks to its beautiful foliage and unusual flowers catalpa is considered a tree with high decorative qualities, which is why this species is very fond of many gardeners and landscape designers.
Catalpa is a fast growing deciduous tree. unpretentious in care. Due to these qualities and its decorative effect, it is often used in the design and landscaping of various sites and urban areas.
Usually, novice gardeners, admiring these marvelous and spectacular trees, sigh in disappointment, because they believe that, unlike professionals, they cannot get and grow catalpa on their site. But in fact, such an unusual and exotic, at first glance, plant is completely unpretentious in care, easily takes root when planted in open ground and endures adverse climatic conditions.
Tree Description
Catalpa is a member of the Bignoniaceae family. In its natural environment, it can be found on the territory of India, America, Japan and China. This culture was brought to Russia in the nineteenth century from the southern regions. Over time, she was able to acclimatize and adapt to the climatic conditions of our country and its rather cold winters. Today, the catalpa bonsai is grown throughout Europe.
Thanks to the unusual appearance and high decorative qualities, this deciduous plant was able to gain great popularity among professionals and beginner gardeners. Currently, it is increasingly used for landscaping and decoration of park areas, alleys and gardens. Among the species and varieties of catalpa, you can find both trees and shrub or undersized forms of plants.
This truly luxurious tree is the owner of a neat, but dense rounded crown. Its trunk is covered with grayish bark and can grow up to thirty to forty meters in height.
A characteristic feature of catalpa is its large leaves, which have a heart-shaped or ovoid shape. The width of the leaf plate varies between twenty to thirty centimeters, and the length can reach from ten to twenty centimeters. The foliage is attached to the shoots with strong long petioles. Its upper part is smooth, with a glossy sheen, painted in bright green, while the lower surface is matte, covered with fluff. Due to its unusual foliage, the catalpa has received several more names “tree with elephant ears” and “pasta tree”.
flowering period
During the flowering period, the catalpa looks very attractive, its entire crown is densely covered with lush large panicle inflorescences that stay on the tree for three to four weeks. Flowers reach seven centimeters in diameter, and consist of calyx split into two parts and corollas with five stamens. Usually the inflorescences are painted in rather light shades: cream, white, lilac. Sometimes they have a bright contrasting center, covered with strokes and inclusions, as well as wavy edges.
Catalpa begins to bloom later than others deciduous plants around the second half of June. Therefore, when the mass flowering of spring apple and pear trees ends, the only macaroni tree in the whole garden pleases with abundant and large chestnut-like loose inflorescences. Only mature trees over five years old can be covered with flowers.
They are multi-seeded boxes, similar in shape to narrow long pods, reaching fifty centimeters in length. They remain hanging on the trees until the next spring and give the plants an original look even in winter. It was the shape of the fruit that caused the appearance of another name for catalpa - pasta tree. The seeds of this culture are winged.
The main difference between catalpa and other deciduous crops is its evergreen crown. In autumn, the foliage practically does not turn yellow and falls off when low temperatures set in, unusual fruit-pods remain hanging on the branches.
Despite the fact that this plant was originally thermophilic and was brought to us from hot countries, today, within the same variety, catalpas are distinguished by a high level of frost resistance and survive the winter cold well. Middle lane and Moscow region. Of course, first of all, the ability of trees to feel good in the climatic conditions of Russia depends on the region where the seedlings were grown. Therefore, in order to successfully grow pasta in your area, you should purchase those seedlings that have been grown in similar geographical and climatic conditions.
Reproduction of catalpa
Many catalpa gardeners often begin to think that it's time to get a couple more of these trees. After all, they decorate the adjoining and garden plots throughout the year and do not cause any difficulties in care. In such cases, you can simply purchase cuttings from flower shops and fairs, or try getting a few extra plants from one already growing in your area.
Catalpa can be propagated in two ways: vegetatively, that is, by cuttings or using seeds. Prepare the planting substrate according to the following list and start propagating the plant.
Planting soil for seeds and cuttings of catalpa:
- Half a kilo of river sand.
- Five hundred grams of black soil.
- Two hundred and fifty grams of peat.
- Seven hundred and fifty grams of humus.
Vegetative way
To get young catalpas using cuttings, they must first be properly harvested and then planted in the soil for rooting.
- In the second half of summer (from late July to early September), find shoots ten to fifteen centimeters long with three to four buds on a tree.
- Carefully cut them off using sharp knife or special secateurs.
- Prepare a box filled with soil mixture for cuttings.
- Plant the cuttings in the soil for rooting. In order for the shoots to quickly form the root system, it is recommended to treat them with special growth stimulant preparations before being placed in the soil, for example, Kornevin can be used.
- Place the box with the cuttings in a room with a mild and stable temperature regime. When the soil dries out, carefully water the plantings. Avoid excess moisture in the soil.
- During the winter, the cuttings will take root and in the spring, making sure that the frosts do not return, they can be planted in open ground on your site.
seed way
Planting technology for pasta seedlings in open ground:
Catalpa is a very unpretentious plant; when grown, it requires very little time and cost. increased attention this fast-growing green tree requires only the period after planting in open ground and the next two to three years. Caring for such a plant includes only the main stages, which we will now get acquainted with:
- plant abundant watering required once a week, at least two buckets of water should go under one tree. You should not allow stagnant water and waterlogging, if precipitation has become more frequent and there is no hot weather, reduce the amount of watering. If the foliage began to sag, then the catalpa does not have enough moisture.
- Trees of this genus rod root system , so loosening should be done to a depth of thirty to forty centimeters. And also remove all weeds in a timely manner.
- At the beginning of the growing season, add five to seven liters for each tree manure solution, it is prepared in the ratio of one part of manure to ten parts of water. Feed the plants once during the flowering period mineral supplements.
- Young seedlings and trees should be covered for the winter to prevent them from freezing. Trunk circles cover with a thick layer of fallen leaves, and wrap the trunks with burlap or spruce branches.
- All damaged dried and frozen shoots should be cut off. Pruning is done every year spring time, combining a sanitary haircut with a decorative one.
catalpa tree
