Catalpa bignonioides

Southern catalpa

Family: Bignoniaceae · Type: tree · Not Native

Southern catalpa is a naturalized tree found in northern Sierra Nevada Foothills, San Joaquin Valley, and southern California coastal areas, growing along streambanks, roadsides, and railroad embankments at elevations below 1,500 meters. Flowering from May to June, this tree produces white flowers with purple and yellow markings in showy, large clusters. Growing to 15 meters tall with a spreading, rounded canopy, it features thick, sturdy branches and large, heart-shaped leaves. Its broad, opposite leaves are approximately 15 to 25 centimeters long, light green and somewhat fuzzy, creating dense foliage. The fruit is a distinctive long, narrow pod approximately 35 centimeters in length, less than one centimeter in diameter.

Habitat: Streambanks, roadsides, railroad embankments

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: < 1500 m

Bioregions: n SNF, SnJV, SCo, expected elsewhere

California counties: San Bernardino, Kern, Riverside, Inyo, Amador, Fresno, Ventura, Butte, Sacramento, Humboldt, Siskiyou, Napa, Los Angeles

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.