The Catalpa can be described as having large heart shapes or three lobed leaves. It has white or yellow flowers in clusters that usually form in late spring (see Figure 3).[i] By autumn, Catalpa has grown 20 to 50 cm long fruits, which looks like slim bean pods. These bean pods contain many flat seeds (See Figure 4).[ii] In North America, the fruits of the Catalpa tree also have the bean-like structure which sometimes may look like a cigar. The bark of the Catalpa tree in North America has reddish brown scales with very thick bark; growing to a height of thirty meters and approximately one meter in Diameter.[iii] The wood for the two main North American species are quite similar; the wood has a faint, sweet, fragrant smell. The heartwood of the Catalpa has a little bit of gray and brown colour. However, the sapwood is narrow and grey.[iv]

Figure 3 & 4: Catalpa Speciosa flowers Retrieved: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/commontr/catalpa.htm.

[i] Vines R. A. 2004. Trees, shrubs and woody vines of the southwest. Austin: University of Texas Press. P. 926-927.

[ii] Vines R. A. 2004. Trees, shrubs and woody vines of the southwest. Austin: University of Texas Press. P. 926-927.

[iii] Thone F. 1931. Nature Ramblings: Catalpa The Science News-Letter 19 (530): 366.

[iv] Thone F. 1931. Nature Ramblings: Catalpa The Science News-Letter 19 (530): 366.