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Chinese catalpa

Scientific Name: Catalpa ovata

Family: Bignoniaceae

Category: Dicot

Growth: Tree

Duration: Perennial

Other Names:

       

Catalpa ovata: The Chinese Catalpa

Catalpa ovata, commonly known as the yellow catalpa or Chinese catalpa, is a deciduous tree prized for its ornamental value and potential utility.

Considerations for Pets

  • This tree produces bean-like seed pods.

Considerations for Children

  • This tree produces bean-like seed pods.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Catalpa ovata G. Don
  • Common Names: Yellow catalpa, Chinese catalpa, Japanese catalpa, Oriental Catalpa, Far East Catalpa, Three Fingered
  • Family: Bignoniaceae (Bignonia, or Trumpet-creeper family)
  • Synonyms:
    • Bignonia catalpa Thunberg
    • Catalpa henryi Dode
    • C. kaempferi Siebold & Zuccarini
  • USDA PLANTS Symbol: CAOV5
  • Taxonomic Rank: Species

Distribution and Habitat

  • Native to China.
  • Occasionally cultivated in Wisconsin and rarely escapes near plantings in the southern counties.
  • Has escaped from cultivation in states from Connecticut south to Maryland west to Ohio.
  • Planted in large areas in China, especially in the Yangtze River Basin, Hunan province.

Ecological Role

  • Regarded as potentially invasive in some portions of its eastern North American range.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

  • Deciduous tree, typically grows to 30 feet tall and as wide. Some report up to 10 m (32ft 10in).
  • Showy blossoms appear in the spring.
  • Produces bean-like seed pods.
  • Leaves are heart shaped.
  • Grows at a fast rate.

Interactions with Other Organisms

  • Attractive to bees when in flower.

Quirky Facts

  • The Chinese catalpa is also named “small-leaf phoenix tree”.
  • Its lighter-than-air seeds are released from the tree.
  • Chinese Catalpa wood (Lignum catalpae ovatae) is used.

Further Information

  • USDA PLANTS Database
  • USDA ARS GRIN
  • ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System)
  • Discover Life
  • Dave's Garden
  • EDDMapS Distribution Maps
  • Arnold Arboretum