The catalpa is majestic. Catalpa - macaroni tree with orchid flowers and apple flavor

Catalpa belongs to the representatives of the genus Bignoniaceae. In the wild, it grows in eastern India, Japan, China and North America. This unusual tree in ancient times was used by the Indians, who prepared remedies from it to help fight such dangerous ailments as whooping cough and malaria.

General information

They called it "katoba", however, a little later it was renamed catalpa by the Italian scientist and botanist Scopoli. It was he who first studied and described the catalpa, opening this exotic plant to the world.

The genus Bignoniaceae combines from 10 to 38 species of catalpas. Some of them are cultivated in the southern strip of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, while the rest can only be seen in the wild.

Catalpa is an unpretentious and fairly easy-to-care plant, so if you want to decorate your garden plot, giving it beauty and unusualness, then it is exactly what you need.

Catalpa species and varieties

- in the wild, a tree can be found in North America. It grows on the banks of rivers. The plant reaches a height of 20 meters. Catalpa has a spreading rounded crown. The bark of the catalpa is thinly lamellar with a light brown color. The leaves are large, light green, resembling a lilac in appearance.

The inflorescences of the plant have a pyramidal shape. They are up to 20 cm wide and 30 cm long. Inflorescences consist of small fragrant flowers white color with red-brown dots. The flowering period is 20 days, after which long, narrow fruits in the form of pods with small seeds begin to form.

- The birthplace of this variety of catalpa is North America. An adult tree reaches a height of 30 meters and has a broadly pyramidal crown with large light green leaves and thin gray bark.

The inflorescences of the plant are panicle-shaped and consist of small, pleasantly smelling cream-colored flowers with purple specks. Catalpa fruits are small boxes that crack when ripe and drop seeds to the ground.

The crown of the tree has a pyramidal shape. The trunk is covered with thin gray bark. The leaves are large dark green. The inflorescences are creamy with yellow stripes and dark dots.

The aroma of flowers is vaguely reminiscent of apple. Catalpa blooms for only a month. grows in fertile soil and loves importance. This type of plant is characterized by frost resistance and good resistance to diseases and pests.

- is a small, slowly growing tree with a spherical crown with a dense light green leaf. In height, the catalpa reaches from 4 to 6 meters.

Flowering time from June to July. The flowers are collected in large inflorescences, which have a pleasant aroma and a soft beige hue with yellow stripes and brown specks. The fruits of catalpa are narrow, long, having the appearance of pods.

- this variety was bred by crossing the ovoid and ordinary catalpas. The tree reaches a height of 16 meters and has a luxurious rounded crown with a light green leaf cover. The inflorescences of the catalpa are loose and large, consisting of small white flowers with purple specks on outside petals.

The plant is native to Central China. tall mature tree reaches 10 meters, but when grown in a garden plot, the catalpa does not grow more than 4 meters.

She is the owner of large, pleasantly smelling white flowers with a purple throat collected in large brushes. The fruits of the plant resemble thin and long pods. For the growth and development of catalpa, you need a lot of light and nutrient soil.

- an adult tree reaches a height of 10 meters. It has a dense pyramidal crown with large, very unusual leaves. When sheet plates as soon as they bloom they have a purple hue, but after a month, they change their color to light green.

The plant blooms with small flowers, similar to white bells with purple specks, collected in large and long brushes. The flowering time of catalpa falls in the middle of summer and lasts only a month.

- the tree has straight stems with a dense leafy cover of a light green hue. The height of the tree reaches 8 meters. Catalpa blooms for a month with large tassels with small white inflorescences with a purple throat. Seeds are thin and long pods that ripen in mid-autumn.

- the homeland of the plant is Northern China. The variety is named after the German botanist Alexander Bunge, who is the discoverer of this variety. The tree has a pyramidal crown with luxurious large dark green leaves. Catalpa inflorescences are small. They consist of 3-12 white small flowers with purple specks, after flowering, pod-shaped fruits appear.

It is a tree with a height of 8 to 10 meters. In the wild, its height can reach 20 meters. The crown of the catalpa is dense, having a pyramidal shape. The leaves are large and dark green. Small flowers are collected in large, racemose, pleasantly smelling white inflorescences with purple specks. The flowering time of the plant is in the middle of summer.

- this variety of catalpa reaches a height of up to 8 meters and has a dense, pyramidal crown with large light green leaves. The tree blooms in June. The flowers are small, fragrant, collected in large white inflorescences with brown spots.

- the tree grows up to 20 meters and has a round crown with spreading branches. The leaves are large, light green in color with a slight pubescence. The plant blooms in the middle of summer with beige-white flowers with a purple throat, collected in loose large brushes. After flowering, long pod-shaped fruits are formed.

- in the wild, the plant is found in forests Western China. The height of the tree reaches 20 meters. It has a wide, dense, spherical crown with a dense dark green leaf cover.

Catalpa blooms in June. Purple or pink flowers with an orange throat are collected in large, loose, pleasantly smelling brushes. After flowering, long and thin fruits are formed in the form of pods.

Catalpa landing and care in the suburbs

Planting a catalpa and caring for it is not much different from any other ornamental tree. Catalpa seedlings can be purchased from a nursery or grown from seeds on your own. It is necessary to plant a young tree in a garden plot in the spring, before the sap flow begins, or in the fall, when the trees shed their leaves.

To land a catalpa, you need to find a site with good illumination, which will be closed from winds and drafts. This is necessary because the tree has an extremely fragile leaf cover, which is easily injured during gusts of wind and strong drafts.

It will also be a plus if the groundwater on the site is as deep underground as possible. Catalpa loves space very much, so a distance of at least 5 meters must be kept between a young plant and other trees.

Planting catalpa in spring

The landing pit should be 100 centimeters deep and 70 centimeters wide. At the bottom of the pit, drainage should be laid in the form of crushed stone or broken brick. The thickness of the drainage layer should be about 15 centimeters.

When the drainage is laid, soil is poured on it, a little more than half the pit in volume. Then a tree is placed in the substrate, having previously straightened the roots. The remaining void is filled with soil and slightly compacted.

After the planting is completed, the tree is watered abundantly. It must be ensured that after moisture absorption, root neck dropped to ground level. Also, the trunk circle should be mulched with peat or straw.

Campsis is also a member of the Bignoniaceae family. Grown during planting and care in the open field without special trouble, if you follow the rules of agricultural technology. You can find all the necessary recommendations for growing and caring for this vine in this article.

Watering the catalpa

Catalpa loves water very much, so watering should be systematic and carried out once a week. In the dry season, it is increased to two times. If the tree does not have enough moisture, its foliage will lose its elasticity and sag. To water an adult tree, you need to use 20 liters at a time.

If the summer is cool and rainy, watering should be reduced to twice a month. The same amount of watering is necessary for a mulched catalpa. After making water under a tree or after rains, the earth around the trunk should be loosened, while simultaneously removing weeds. With prolonged drought, the frequency of watering should be increased.

Soil for catalpa

The soil for catalpa should consist of humus, leaf soil, sand and peat in a ratio of 3: 2: 2: 1. 7 kilograms of ash and 50 grams of phosphate rock should be added to this substrate.

Land for planting a plant should have an acidity of not more than 7.5.

Catalpa transplant

Catalpa is transplanted in two cases: if an adult tree has grown and there is not enough space for it on the site, or if it is necessary to transplant a young plant from a pot into open ground. Tree transplantation can be carried out both in spring before the start of sap flow, and in autumn, when the tree sheds foliage.

It is better to transplant a tree together with a clod of earth with which an adult tree or a young seedling grew before. The planting hole is dug to the same depth as when planting catalpa, the composition of the soil mixture also does not change. After transplanting, it is necessary to compact the soil and water the plant abundantly.

Top dressing catalpa

Fertilize the tree should be systematic. For this purpose, a solution of rotted manure diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 should be added to the soil where the catalpa grows. An adult tree needs 6 liters of such top dressing, and young seedling from 2 to 3 liters.

Top dressing is carried out twice a season. In the spring, nitroammophoska is introduced into the soil under the tree, and in the fall - phosphorus and potash fertilizers, since at this time the plant needs nitrogen.

Flowering catalpa

Catalpa buds appear in late March - mid-April. It all depends on which strip of Russia the tree grows in. The flowering period begins in mid-June and lasts about a month.

Catalpa flowers resemble exotic and beautiful small orchids that smell like apple flowers. The petals of the flowers have wavy edges and a white or cream hue with yellow stripes and purple dots in the throat. The size of the flowers reaches up to 7 centimeters. They are collected in large and long inflorescences, reminiscent of "candles" of chestnuts.

Catalpa pruning and shaping

Catalpa pruning is carried out in the spring, until the moment when the buds swell. When pruning, only injured, dry, frozen or damaged by diseases or pests branches are removed.

Typically, a tree is formed by creating a stem with a height of 120 to 200 centimeters, above which the tree will branch out, forming a sprawling, low crown, consisting of 5 skeletal branches.

After a certain period of time, if necessary, the skeletal branches are shortened, and the thickening stems are removed. As a result, a dense, beautiful rounded crown with light green leaf plates is formed.

Preparing catalpa for winter

Catalpa does not tolerate cold. Young trees are especially "afraid" of them. For this reason, the tree should be prepared in advance for winter. For this purpose, it is necessary to wrap the trunk with burlap, and cover the soil around the tree with a thick layer of dry foliage and cover with spruce branches. Thus, it will be possible to avoid freezing of the root system. With the onset of spring, when the frosts completely stop, the tree is freed from shelter.

It should be taken into account the fact that as it grows and develops, catalpa becomes more and more frost-resistant and tolerates winter better. by the most frost-resistant variety catalpa is ovoid, and the weakest, freezing almost to the base - catalpa Aurea. However, this variety is capable of completely regrowing over the summer.

Catalpa from seeds at home

When growing catalpa from seeds, you should first stratify them. It is necessary to sow seeds in late February, early March. Seeds should be soaked before sowing warm water at 12 o'clock. You can also sow them in the fall, but in this case, you do not need to soak the seeds.

In the prepared soil, small grooves are made into which the seeds are laid out and sprinkled with a layer of substrate. A box with seedlings, covered with a layer of film and cleaned in the light, warm place. The temperature for good germination of seeds should be at least 25 °.

Crops must be protected from direct sunlight, systematically watered and ventilated. Seedlings that have grown in a year can be planted in open ground when the threat of frost has passed.

Catalpa propagation by cuttings

When growing catalpa using cuttings, planting material should be prepared in July. The cuttings should be 8 centimeters long, and they must also have from 2 to 4 buds. When harvesting material for planting, you should choose an adult catalpa.

In order for the roots to appear on the cuttings, they need to be planted in the ground, which will include peat and sand, then cover the box with the cuttings with a film and put them in a warm and bright place. Hoopoe for cuttings should be the same as for seedlings. When the cuttings take root, young foliage will appear on them. Ready-made young animals can be planted in open ground in mid-May.

Diseases and pests

Catalpa is resistant to both diseases and pests. But while the tree is young and weak, it can be attacked Spanish fly . To destroy the pest, it is necessary to spray the young catalpa with the Decis or Fastak insecticide.

Also young plant threaten and horntails , which settle on the trunk and in their own way appearance resemble hornets. They bite through the bark and lay their eggs there, and when the larvae hatch, they begin to feed on catalpa, as a result of which it weakens and dries. Mature trees are not threatened by the horntail invasion. Spraying with Actellik insecticide will help to destroy this insect.

Catalpa can get sick verticillium wilt , which primarily affects the lower part of the crown, and then covers the entire leaf cover. With verticillium, the leaves begin to turn yellow, wither and fall off. You can get rid of this disease of fungal ethology by watering with drugs such as Maxim and Rovral. The crown can be treated with "Fundazol". For prevention, the plant is sprayed with Previkur.

Exotic catalpa will decorate any garden plot, contributing to the total landscape composition, originality and aesthetics. And when proper care behind the tree, it will long time delight with its decorative effect and unusual delicate flowers with a pleasant apple flavor.

Catalpa is a very beautiful and spectacular deciduous tree from 5 to 30 m high, which attracts the eye from early spring to late autumn. Her homeland is the southeastern part North America where it grows in abundance along river banks. In the 18th century, catalpa was brought to Europe, and today it is also widely distributed in Russia, China, India and Japan.

There is a legend that this is a tree of elephants and monkeys - elephant ears and monkey tails, according to the whim of Buddha, joined in this kind of tree.

Catalpa is the Indian name for picturesque deciduous, rarely evergreen trees of the bignoniaceae family, with a rounded crown that gives a lot of shade; with opposite, sometimes whorled, heart-shaped, very large leaves (30 x 17 cm) on long petioles.

The large, round, heart-shaped leaves of the catalpa make it stand out from the crowd throughout the season. The plant blooms for 3 - 4 weeks, starting from mid-June.

During the flowering period, the catalpa is covered with large inflorescences unusually beautiful flowers, very similar to orchid flowers, and even having an apple flavor. Funnel-shaped, up to 7 cm long, white or cream flowers with a wavy edge, inside with two yellow stripes with large dark spots and numerous purple-brown dots in the throat, collected in large erect, paniculate inflorescences

Each inflorescence contains up to 50 flowers.

Another difference between Catalpa and most trees is that in autumn it practically does not turn yellow and sheds green leaves when the temperature drops below zero.

The fruit that appears in autumn is a long, hanging, pod-like capsule up to 40 cm long, filled with a mass of flying seeds. The fruits remain hanging on the branches almost all winter, giving the tree a pretty original look and arousing the curiosity of passers-by. Hanging long fruits sometimes resemble pasta, hence the name of the catalpa - pasta tree.

In total, the plant counts 10 species, but in our country Catalpa bignonioides and Catalpa speciosa are usually grown.

Magnificent catalpa (Catalpa speciosa).

Catalpa Magnificent is a beautiful tree up to 30 m high, with a dense broad-pyramidal crown and a relatively slender trunk covered with red-brown, thick-lamellar bark, separated by thick scales. It has very large leaves on long petioles, which unfold earlier than the leaves of other types of catalpas. Leaves ovate, entire or with 1-2 lateral teeth reach 30 cm in length and 20 cm in width. In adult leaves, the leaf blade is shiny, green, smooth above, slightly pubescent below, densely pubescent below, especially along the veins.

The fruits are long (up to 45 cm), cylindrical brown capsules, leathery, hard, matte, crack lengthwise into 2 valves, gradually tapering towards the top, contain winged seeds with a fringe of short hairs. In a box from 53 to 146 seeds.

Beautiful, large, up to 7 cm, fragrant flowers creamy white in color, with a wavy edge, two-lipped corolla, inside with two yellow stripes and numerous purple-brown dots, collected in wide panicles 15-20 cm long. Flowering occurs at the end of June and lasts the first decade of July. Flowering time is 20-25 days. The fruits adorn the tree from the second half of summer.

Catalpa bignonioides, or common catalpa (Catalpa bignonioides).

• Native to southeastern North America. A tree with a spreading rounded crown, with a spectacular bright yellow color of the leaves. The leaves are heart-shaped, very large, golden at first, then light yellow-green. The flowers are white, the fruits are long beans. Reaching 15 meters in height and a trunk diameter of about one meter, it has a wide, tent-shaped crown, especially well developed when the tree stands alone. Bark large trees brownish, cracking into small scales.

  The leaves are broadly ovate, up to 20 centimeters long and 15 centimeters wide, entire or with two small lobes. When blooming, they are felt-pubescent below, later somewhat bare. The flowers are white with two yellow stripes and purple-brown spots in the corolla. They form broad-pyramidal panicles up to 25 centimeters long.

  The fruits are light brown in color, very narrow and long (up to 8 mm in diameter and up to 45 cm in length), crack with two valves, pouring out small silver-gray winged seeds with tufts of whitish hairs. Grows pretty fast. The first flowering is in the fifth year of life.

Representatives of the genus Catalpa grow in the natural forests of Northern and South America, Asia. With large leaves original flowers, catalpa tree or shrub, is in demand among gardeners.

Among the Maya Indians, the tree was fanned with legends and fairy tales, it was considered the tree of happiness.

What is a catalpa tree?

The genus Catalpa is represented by 13 various types. Some of them came to the territory of Europe and Russia from America, others from Asian countries, Japan and China.

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.

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 areas natural habitat catalpa can reach a height of 40 meters.

Some wild 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.

Varieties for Russian gardens

In Russia, trees from the genus Catalpa began to appear in the mid-19th and early 20th centuries. Grown in botanical gardens, but were gradually adapted to the climate of various regions of Russia. Currently, many species overwinter well at negative values temperatures down to -25 degrees. Freezing is more likely to occur in young plants or annual growths.

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:

• bignoniform catalpa
• splendid catalpa
• catalpa ovoid

Catalpa is magnificent

The plant is holding up well. climatic conditions middle lane 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.

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 an exotic look to the snow-covered garden.

The magnificent catalpa has a decorative variety - pulverulent, which is distinguished by the original "powdered" surface of the leaves.

bigoniform catalpa

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:

• Aurea, golden leaves at the beginning of the growing season
• Nana, has a crown in the form of a compact ball, the diameter of which reaches from 2 to 4 meters
• Kene, yellow leaves with a green center
• Purpurea, red-brown leaves when blooming

All forms are fairly 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

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 can also be in shrub multi-stemmed forms.

All types can be used in the design of gardens and parks.

Landing and care

Best time to land exotic tree- it is spring. You can buy seedlings in specialized nurseries and garden centers.

It is better to choose a place as protected from the wind as possible. Since large leaves can break into strong wind, 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 growth during the summer season, which will not have time to lignify and freeze out during the winter.

Close proximity should be avoided ground water. The acidity of the soil is neutral. The 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, shed the seedlings with water and mulch the tree trunks with peat soil.

In the first two years, if possible, cover the plantings for the winter.

In more southern regions, from mild winters feed the tree two or three times a 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.

Catalpa in landscape and landscape compositions

Due to its exotic appearance, catalpa can be used in single landings, like a tapeworm plant. Low Nanas are suitable for small gardens and house adjoining areas.

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.

If there is a reservoir in the garden, then this plant is simply created to decorate its shores. You can combine forms with purple and gold leaves.

Currently, catalpa is a tree that is widely used in urban landscaping, it is replacing traditional poplars and lindens. Since representatives of the genus perfectly withstand gas pollution big cities, are very drought tolerant, and many forms flower early and bloom annually. All types of catalpa are excellent honey plants.

Do you want to surprise your friends and acquaintances? Plant a tree with the name catalpa (unless, of course, the climate allows - more on that below).

Catalpa is useful as a decoration for a dacha, a site - there is no “fruit” benefit from it, and useful qualities and the properties of catalpa are also not noted.

But its decorative qualities are on top. Catalpa grows very quickly, resistant to a variety of adverse conditions, requires minimal maintenance. It will look good both in the foreground as a single planting and as a component in alley plantings.

The large flowers of the catalpa are beautiful and openwork, from a distance they are very similar to the foxglove flower, and the inflorescences in which they are collected practically do not differ from the chestnut ones (meaning the flowering horse chestnut).

Due to the large leaves of the heart-shaped form, the catalpa received the name "tree with elephant ears."

Biological features of a tree

Catalpa (lat. Catalpa) is a plant that belongs to the bignoniaceae family. In total there are 10 types of catalpas. Of these, only 4 are grown in our country in the southern regions.

All representatives of this genus are very beautiful and, as a rule, deciduous (less often evergreen - a lot depends on climatic conditions) plants. The crown of almost all is round, very shady due to large leaves.

The decorativeness of catalpa also lies in the fact that its leaves do not turn yellow in autumn, but remain green almost until frost.

Catalpa flowers are white or cream. Collected in large inflorescences. The fruit is also amazing - a green pod that resembles an icicle and contains a large number of flying after opening the seeds, vaguely resembling dandelions. Catalpa fruits containing seeds can sag all winter.

Common types of catalpa

In yards, cottages and plots, you can most often find magnificent catalpa (Catalpa speciosa) And bignoniform catalpa (Catalpa bignonioides).

Both of them are imported from North America, their homeland. I must say that there they can reach a height of up to 30 meters! In our conditions, it is rare to find a catalpa whose tree exceeds 10-12 meters.

The trunk of the magnificent catalpa is almost always slender, covered with gray bark with thick plates. The crown is pyramidal, wide, very dense.

The leaves of the magnificent catalpa bloom earlier than in other species. Catalpa vleikolepnaya grows very quickly - growth can reach one meter per year.

This species is relatively photophilous and drought-resistant, therefore it does not tolerate close groundwater, as well as any flooding, including spring ones. So if your site is located in the flood zone, planting a catalpa is not recommended.

"Catalpa bignoniform"- the species is characterized by its spreading branches and a wide crown of a round shape. The bark, in contrast to the magnificent catalpa, in the bignoniform is light brown shade, also lamellar, however, the plates are thinner. The leaves are very large and wide, pubescent below and glabrous above.

Growth to. Bignoniform is slower. Unlike its predecessor, it makes higher demands on humidity. It also tolerates frost to a large extent.

The most famous cultivars of the beautiful catalpa "Pulverolenta", "Aurea" (better known as a shrub grown in parks up to 2 meters high), "Koehnei" and "Nana" (dwarf form of catalpa, spherical, characterized by increased winter hardiness in the conditions of the South of Russia, with success grown by gardeners even in the middle lane, Moscow region).

In landscaping gardens and plots, the other two types of catalpa are most often used - this is the Chinese " catalpa ovoid» (Catalpa ovata) and hybrid catalpa(Catalpa hybrida) which is nothing more than a hybrid of catalpa bignoniform and k. ovoid.

Flowering catalpa

Catalps begin to vegetate actively in the middle or second half of May and stop active growth at the end of August.

Most types of catalpas fall off while preserving green color leaves.

Catalpa flowers are very beautiful and fragrant, often pure white but sometimes with a creamy tint.

The flowers are large (5-7 centimeters), often covered with dots-specks. The panicles in which the flowers are collected can even reach 20 centimeters in length, if the care of the catalpa is correct.

Catalpa most often (depending on the region, of course) begins to bloom in the 5th year after planting in late June or early July, which is in the hands of gardeners, because during these periods other trees no longer bloom.

Pods (because of which the plant was nicknamed "pasta tree") with catalpa seeds can grow almost up to half a meter in length, more often 35-40 centimeters. If not strong winds then almost all of them will hang on the tree all winter.

Photo 2: From left to right: Flowers of catalpa bignoniform, leaves of catalpa superb, pods with seeds of catalpa hybrid

Catalpa - how to grow, care

Choose a place for planting catalpa sunny, protected from cold winds - drafts, especially frosty - main enemy not only young catalpa seedlings, but even a fully grown tree.

The seedling is planted in a hole to a depth of 70 to 120 centimeters. For planting catalpa, a garden mixture of peat, sand, humus and leafy soil is well suited (ratio 1-2-3-2).

Do not be too lazy to bring 5-7 kilograms under the catalpa seedling when planting wood ash, you can add a little phosphate rock - it will be more reliable, all the same, the tree is finicky.

The best for catalpa is ph7. Catalpa easily tolerates a transplant, which is best done in the spring, and early. Reproduction of catalpa can be done by layering, cuttings and seeds, which she has in abundance.

Watering is not frequent and not plentiful - 15-18 liters under a tree, no more than once every seven days, if there is no prolonged drought.

Catalpa also treats top dressing very well (growth accelerates very significantly). Top dressing is applied one, two maximum three times in one season. The same slurry is used as top dressing (approximately 5 liters per tree)

Catalpa pruning should be carried out annually, in the spring it is imperative to remove dry branches affected by frost.

After pruning, the catalpa restores the crown literally before our eyes, so grab the pruner to shape it without fear.

It is better to protect young catalpas from frost with burlap, and mulch the ground in trunk circles.

At severe frosts it is better to cover young seedlings completely, for example, just as you shelter roses from frost, at worst, cover with the same burlap. The older the catalpa becomes, the less it will need frost protection.

​Related Articles​

Catalpa bignoniform, magnolias are not even a relative.

What is a catalpa tree?

http://flower.onego.ru/kustar/catalpa.html

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 of creamy white 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. The distance between the planting 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 the snow-covered garden an exotic look.​
• In Russia, trees from the genus Catalpa began to appear in the middle of the 19th and early 20th centuries. They were 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. Thanks to large leaves, original flowers, a catalpa tree or shrub is also in demand among gardeners.

Catalpa bignonioides

bigoniform catalpa

Macaroni 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 an 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

Magnificent catalpa has a decorative variety - pulverulent, 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 the wild it reaches a height of 20 meters (cultivated does not grow above 10 meters). 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 with organic fertilizers based on compost or rotted manure. The rest of agricultural technology, including the fight against diseases and pests, does not have fundamental differences from other 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 different species. 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 catalpas growing in our region is very late, sometimes in the first decade of June, leaf blooming, especially after 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 are pleasing to the eye lush bloom. 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.
The best time to plant an exotic tree 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 humid and rich soil on the banks of rivers and reservoirs. In their homeland, catalpas reach a height of 20-30 m. In our climate zone, as a rule, 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 pond 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 the plant is also afraid of cold winds. Poor soils are desirable, since on fatty soils, the plant will give a large vegetative growth during the summer season, which will not have time to lignify and freeze out during 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.