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Northern Catalpa

Catalpa speciosa

Use caution near homesnaturalizedMedium tree

Huge heart-shaped leaves, orchid-like June flowers, and long dangling bean pods — a tough, showy tree for big spaces that sheds coarse litter and the occasional brittle limb.

Height
40–60 ft
Spread
40–50 ft
Lifespan
60–100 yr
Growth
Fast
A cluster of white catalpa flowers marked with purple streaks and yellow throats

Identification

What to look at

Three features settle most identifications: the bark on the trunk, the leaf in your hand, and whatever the tree is dropping.

  • Gray-brown catalpa bark in shallow scaly ridges
    The barkThin gray-brown ridges that flake into loose scales.
  • An enormous heart-shaped catalpa leaf
    The leafHeart-shaped and up to a foot long — the largest simple leaf on any Kansas tree.
  • Long slender catalpa seed pods hanging among large leaves
    The seedThe 'cigar' pods, hanging on well into winter after the leaves have gone.

How to identify it

  • Enormous heart-shaped leaves up to a foot long
  • Showy white June flowers with purple-and-gold throats
  • Long, thin 'cigar' seed pods persisting into winter
  • Twisting trunk and irregular crown

Where it grows

Native range
Native to a surprisingly small area of the central Mississippi valley, then planted widely across Kansas for fence posts and railroad ties. It has been naturalized here long enough that most people assume it is native.
Soil
Very adaptable, handling both wet ground and drought on alkaline clay.
Sunlight
Full sun
Drought & heat
High drought tolerance, high heat tolerance.

Thrives on tough Kansas sites where fussier trees fail. Give it a big lawn or back corner where pods, flowers, and leaves can drop in peace.

Root behavior

Moderately deep and not notably aggressive toward paving or buried lines.

Storm and branch-failure risk

Fair. The wood is brittle and the enormous leaves catch wind like sails; hail shreds them. Expect limb loss in severe storms and a great deal of coarse litter afterward.

Overall storm resistance: Fair. Assessing damage after a storm

Kansas pests and diseases

  • Catalpa sphinx caterpillar

    Manageable

    Black-and-yellow caterpillars can defoliate a tree in days. The tree leafs out again, and Kansas anglers actively seek these trees out — catalpa worms are prized live bait.

  • Verticillium wilt

    Serious

    Sudden wilting and branch dieback from a soil-borne fungus, with no available cure. Prune out affected limbs and keep the tree watered.

  • Powdery mildew

    Cosmetic

    A white dusty film across the leaves in humid late summer. Unsightly, but it arrives late enough in the season to cost the tree very little.

Seeing something not listed here? Work from the symptom instead

Pruning

Best windowDormant season — November through February

Remove deadwood and reduce over-extended limbs before storm season. No amount of pruning will stop the litter — pods, spent flowers, and huge leaves are simply part of owning one.

Planting near homes

Use caution near homes

Use caution. Give it a big lawn or a back corner where brittle limbs and heavy litter can fall without consequence.

When removal may be necessary

  • Repeated limb failure over a house, drive, or gathering area
  • Advanced trunk decay, which older catalpas develop readily

Removal is a judgment call about risk, not a formula. A tree with one of these conditions over open lawn is a very different situation from the same tree over a driveway — and that judgment needs someone on site.

Kansas Tree Guide is an independent educational resource. Nothing on this site replaces an on-site assessment by a qualified arborist or tree-care professional. Last reviewed August 2026.

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