Human and Animal Use:

Many indigenous people and Chinese use the Catalpa species for medicine. Two of these species used for medicine include the Southern Catalpa and Catalpa Ovata. For example, the Catalpa Ovata bark can be used as anti-inflammatory drug. Practice was an ancient practice done by the Chinese, Koreans and indigenous people in North America and is currently still use [i]

In the 1750s during the European arrival, European settlers instantly recognized the importance of these Catalpa trees for human use.[ii] The European settlers quickly used the Catalpa trees’ wood for fence post and railroad buildings.[iii] Europeans started planting these trees all over different parts of the United States for rapid reproduction. However, using these trees was later discovered to be not good for business because the Catalpa had many predators such as worms and fungi which feed on these trees.[iv] The Catalpa trees are also planted to attract Catalpae Sphinx which are used for fish bates.[v]

[i] Sweeney S. 2005. Catalpa: Great American and invaders. The Monday Garden 162 (2): 40 –51.

[ii] Sweeney S. 2005. Catalpa: Great American and invaders. The Monday Garden 162 (2): 40 –51.

[iii] Sweeney S. 2005. Catalpa: Great American and invaders. The Monday Garden 162 (2): 40 –51.

[iv] Sweeney S. 2005. Catalpa: Great American and invaders. The Monday Garden 162 (2): 40 –51.

[v] Sweeney S. 2005. Catalpa: Great American and invaders. The Monday Garden 162 (2): 40 –51.