Catalpa speciosa

Northern catalpa

Family: Bignoniaceae · Type: tree · Not Native

Northern catalpa is a naturalized tree found in northern Sierra Nevada foothills, Sacramento Valley, and Peninsular Ranges in disturbed places at elevations below 1,500 meters. Flowering from June to July, this tree produces white flowers with purple and yellow markings in large showy clusters. Growing 15 to 20 meters tall with spreading branches and a broad, rounded canopy, it develops a sturdy, upright form. Its large, heart-shaped leaves are arranged opposite on branches, typically 10 to 20 centimeters long with smooth edges. The fruit is a distinctive long pod approximately 30 centimeters in length, measuring more than 1 centimeter in diameter.

Habitat: Disturbed places

Bloom period: Jun-Jul

Elevation: < 1500 m

Bioregions: n SNF, ScV, PR

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