urbpan | 365 Urban species. #350: Northern Catalpa

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urbpan. Location: Bushnell Park, Hartford.

Urban species #350: Northern catalpa Catalpa speciosa

The native range of the northern catalpa is not known for sure, but was probably a fairly small area of the Mississippi River basin. These days it can be found throughout eastern North America. It was discovered to be a valuable source of timber, as well as a hardy urban shade tree, and is widely planted. Catalpa is interesting year-round, with huge heart shaped leaves, profuse attractive flowers, and most distinctively, long straight seed capsules. The capsules can be up to two feet long, and remain dangling on the tree well into winter. Catalpa flowers are open night and day, producing more nectar at night, for the benefit of moths, but producing a more sugary nectar in the day, to attract bumblebees and carpenter bees. There are many species of catalpa, most of which are tropical; southern New England is nearly the northernmost edge of the range of northern catalpa.