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

Very similar to and frequently confused with Northern Catalpa (Catalpa speciosa), 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.).

Macon Co., NC 5/12/06.

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).

Macon Co., NC 5/12/06.

Bark detail.

Macon Co., NC 5/12/06.