Southern Catalpa

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Catalpa bignonioides

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Bignoniaceae
Genus:	Catalpa
Species:	C. bignonioides

Binomial name

Catalpa bignonioides
Walter

Southern Catalpa (Catalpa bignonioides) is a species of Catalpa, native to the southeastern United States in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi. It is also sometimes known as Indian Bean Tree.

It is a medium-sized deciduous tree growing to 15-18 meters tall, with a trunk up to 1 m diameter with brown to gray bark, maturing into hard plates or ridges. The leaves are large, heart shaped, 20-30 cm long and 15-20 cm broad. The flowers are 2.5-4 cm across, trumpet shaped, white with yellow spots inside; they grow in panicles of 20-40.

The fruit is a long, thin bean like pod 20-40 cm long and 8-10 mm diameter; it often stays attached to tree during winter. The pod contains numerous flat light brown seeds with two papery wings.

It is closely related to Northern Catalpa, and can be distinguished by the flowering panicles, which bear a larger number of smaller flowers, and the slightly slenderer seed pods.

[edit] Cultivation and uses

It is widely grown as an ornamental tree. It prefers moist soil and full sun. Despite its southern origins, it has been able to grow almost anywhere in the United States and southernmost Canada, and has become widely naturalized outside of its restricted native range.

The wood is brittle and hard, but does not rot easily; it is used for fence posts and railroad ties.