A very showy tree with large creamy flowers and cordate leaves. Commonly called the Catawba or Indian Bean Tree, this midwestern US native is an occasional escape from cultivation in North Carolina.

Grayson Co., VA 6/18/06.

Very similar to and frequently confused with Southern Catalpa (C. bignoniodes), which also occasionally escapes, but Northern Catalpa has slightly larger flowers (4-6 cm broad) with a notched lower corolla lobed and Southern has smaller flowers (2-4 cm). Northern Catalpa also blooms slightly earlier (May-June vs. June in the Piedmont) and sets fruit earlier (July-Aug. vs. Oct.).

You can't reliably tell the difference between Northern and Southern Catalpa by leaf shape, though Northern is supposed to have slightly more long-pointed leaves.

The long bean-like pods are a better clue -- they're thicker in Northern (10-15 mm) than in Southern (6-10 mm).

Galax, VA 6/14/2003.

Bark detail.

Grayson Co., VA 6/18/06.