Catalpa is an incredibly expressive tree species in terms of decorativeness. Just imagine a giant with a powerful trunk and spreading crown, dressed in huge, unrealistically green glossy leaves, decorated in summer with large light candles of inflorescences, and in autumn with long earrings of bean pods.
The name catalpa comes from the nickname given to the tree by the Indians North America. On ancient language"katahlpa" means "winged head". Most likely, the people, who traditionally live in unity with nature, noticed the plumage of seeds scattering into long distance. Or maybe the tree got its name from its very large leaves, swaying like wings in the wind.
One way or another, the name catalpa was finally established by Carl Linnaeus, who wrote a description of the plant in 1735.
However, a tree with such an extravagant appearance simply cannot do without the appearance of original nicknames. In America, due to the original shape of the fruit, catalpa received alternative names - “Indian bean tree" and "cigar tree".
This tree also has completely unexpected names. The fact is that in the United States there is a butterfly that feeds on large leaves of the plant and is even named after it - Ceratomia catalpae. The caterpillars of this insect are an excellent bait for catching fish, and especially catfish, and therefore local fishermen nicknamed the catalpa “worm tree” or “bait tree” and willingly grow the plant in their areas not only for beauty, but also for collecting catchable bait .
In the northwestern United States, where catalpa is widespread, residents, developing new territories, actively used its wood to make sleepers, fences and telegraph poles. The plant contains natural fungicides, due to which boards made of this material almost do not rot. However, the catalpa has not gained much popularity in woodworking, perhaps due to the stable curvature of the trunk and branches. But flocks of birds love to rest in the crown of this spreading tree, finding excellent protection from rain and wind under the wide leaves.
Catalpa beautifully decorates with its lush greenery the boulevards and embankments of most Russian cities on the Black Sea coast and in our country is strongly associated with the resort. Everyone who has traveled to the south remembers how pleasant it is to hide from the scorching sun in the shade of a spreading tree with funny pods and sit on a bench admiring the endless expanse of the sea.
The genus catalpa (lat. Catalpa), according to the established classification, belongs to the bignoniaceae family (lat. Bignoniaceae) and has about a dozen species of trees. IN wildlife Catalpas are found in North America, Eurasia, Western India, China and Japan.
[!] It was found that catalpa is a relict species. Fossil samples of wood of this species were discovered in layers belonging to the Miocene era during excavations on the territory of the Yellowstone Reserve.
Today, cultivated species of catalpa are very widespread. Through human efforts, a heat-loving crop is planted and takes root well even in countries with a temperate climate.
The plant can be identified by a number of characteristic features:
(lat. Catalpa bignonioides) - one of the most known species. The culture is widespread in the southeastern United States. In addition to the official name, the following names have been assigned to the plant: common catalpa, Indian bean tree, cigar tree and southern catalpa.
K. bignoniiformes Bignonia catalpa reaches a height of 15-18 meters. The tree trunk and lateral branches are covered with gray-brown lamellar bark and form a spreading, irregular crown. The base of the trunk of an adult catalpa can reach a meter in thickness.
The crown of the plant is covered with large heart-shaped leaves of bright green color. The green cover retains its color until the onset of cold weather, and then flies away without turning yellow. One more interesting feature leaves of the common catalpa are axillary glands that secrete a special nectar that repels plant-eating insects.
[!] According to some sources, the juice secreted by the common catalpa drives away mosquitoes, which is another excellent reason to have this luxurious tree in your garden.
During the flowering period, usually in June-July, the trees are covered with beautiful white flowers. Large loose pyramidal clusters of inflorescences consist of three to four dozen individual bells. The overall color scheme of the bouquet is close to white, but each individual corolla is marked on the inside with red-brown specks and golden stripes.
The most famous varieties of catalpa begnoniiformes:
K. golden, K. purple, K. Kene (lat. Catalpa speciosa), no less famous than the common catalpa. The tree is also sometimes called beautiful, hardy or northwestern catalpa. The main habitat is the midwestern United States, more precisely from Southern Illinois and Indiana to Missouri.
K. gorgeous The magnificent catalpa is not called hardy for nothing - it is more frost-resistant than other species. In cultivation, this tree is distributed far beyond North America. In our country, the species is widely used for landscaping the southern Black Sea cities, and individual specimens are found even in middle lane Russia: Voronezh, Belgorod, Orel, Lipetsk.
The magnificent catalpa is the largest and, perhaps, the most slim look among relatives. The crop grows quickly, and when planted in nutritious soil, it can gain up to a meter in height in a year. In a favorable environment and with a successful combination of circumstances mature tree can reach a height of forty meters, although most specimens rarely exceed the twenty-meter mark.
Due to the pyramidal crown and relatively straight trunk, the magnificent catalpa is easy to distinguish from other relatives. In addition, the culture is distinguished by larger, evenly rounded, heart-shaped leaves without the pungent odor characteristic of the foliage of catalpa bignonia.
The most famous variety of magnificent catalpa:
K. powdered Catalpa ovoid(lat. Catalpa ovata) is also sometimes called Chinese or yellow catalpa. As you might guess, the historical homeland of the tree is forests in western China. The yellow catalpa grows more slowly than its relatives, and the height of adult specimens rarely exceeds 6-10 meters.
K. ovoid The spreading crown of the tree is decorated with large, wide, rounded leaves with jagged edges turning into three or five pointed lobes. The Chinese catalpa has relatively small but fragrant flowers with yellowish petals and internal purple flecks. The plant blooms noticeably later than all other species, in July–August.
Variety of catalpa ovoid:
(lat. Catalpa bungei), or, as it is also called Manchurian catalpa, comes from the northern forests of China. The plant was first discovered by the famous German botanist Alexander Bunge, and the culture was named in his honor.
K. Bunge In China, this type of tree is widespread and is planted together with catalpa ovate as decorative decoration landscape and a source of valuable timber. Manchurian catalpa differs from its relatives in its beautiful pink inflorescences with red-beige specks.
(lat. Catalpa fargesii) is another beautiful inhabitant of the forests of China. The species was discovered in the early twentieth century and named after the French missionary and naturalist Pepe Farghesi.
K. Fargezi This large representative of the catalpa genus, with a spreading and dense crown, reaches a height of 20-25 meters. All the beauty of the Fargezi catalpa is concentrated in the unusually large and expressive inflorescences. The brushes consist of individual flowers of a bright pink hue with purple-brown spots in the depths of the petals.
Catalpa immediately attracts attention. In spring, huge, juicy green leaves, like elephant ears, catch your eye. In the summer it is impossible to look away while admiring the candles bright inflorescences decorating the crown of a tree like a birthday cake. In the fall, the catalpa keeps green leaves until the frost, and does not dress up in a yellow-purple outfit like most deciduous trees. Even in winter, this fashionista stands out from the general background with shocking earrings made of dry pods, covered with ice and looking like brown popsicle sticks.
Catalpa will decorate any landscape: a city park, alley, boulevard or avenue; the tree will look no less impressive on a private plot or in a garden.
The plant can be planted either one at a time, creating a separate picture-composition, or in groups, creating directional paths and alleys. When shaping the landscape, it is necessary to take into account the prevailing winds and try to choose the quietest corner for the plant, since the delicate and large leaves of the catalpa are severely damaged by drafts.
[!] Powerful root system wood perfectly strengthens steep and loose slopes, which is why catalpas often decorate complex terrain on the banks of artificial reservoirs
When working with the crop, you should remember that a large tree, when growing, provides a lot of shade and can adversely affect sun-loving plants growing nearby. In addition, it is very important to maintain the required distance from the capital elements of the building. City authorities in southern cities often face a problem when the catalpa begins to outgrow the place allocated to it and climbs into the neighboring territory.
It is difficult to believe that such a heat-loving and extravagant tree can take root in the conditions of central Russia, but it is so. Colleagues share successful experience growing catalpa in Samara, Rostov, Volgograd, Voronezh, Kursk, Orenburg and many other regions.
An adult catalpa can withstand the harsh Russian winter well, and caring for a young tree is within the capabilities of any gardener.
When planting catalpa in open ground It is advisable to choose a well-lit and draft-free place. While a young plant can tolerate light shade, it is unlikely to tolerate an air “pipe”. In summer, wide foliage will be severely affected by drafts. In winter, a young tree planted in an open, windy place will have its crown and roots severely frozen.
Catalpa prefers nutritious and loose soil with close to neutral acidity and good air and moisture permeability. Before planting, you need to add organic fertilizers, it can be compost, peat or manure. It will also be helpful to add about half a bucket of wood ash.
During the growing season, the plant needs stable watering, especially if the summer is dry and hot. You need to water the tree at least once a week, pouring two buckets of settled warm water into the circle around the trunk. Catalpa grows quickly, and to stimulate the plant, it is advisable to provide additional fertilizing a couple of times a season. On soil rich in nutrients, the tree grows up to a meter in height per year. For fertilizer, it is best to use manure diluted in water: half a bucket of liquid solution for one adult catalpa.
In winter, young trees almost inevitably freeze over and some of the branches die.
In the spring, it is necessary to assess the damage and be sure to remove all dead parts of the plant. Catalpa responds to pruning of dry branches with active growth of young shoots and very soon restores the damaged crown.
Over the years, the tree grows bark, becomes coarser and becomes much more frost-resistant, making it much easier to endure the winter season.
Catalpa can be propagated either by cuttings or by planting seeds. Both methods are quite effective, but in practice the gardener’s choice usually depends on availability planting material.
Catalpa fruits ripen closer to autumn, when the pods hanging from the branches of the tree dry out and become brown tint. By this time, the seeds are already completely ready. However, you can collect planting material even in winter, because the fruit pods hang on the branches until spring. Seeds extracted from the pods should be stored in a dry, dark place without loss of germination for up to three years.
It is better to start preparing seedlings in winter, in January-February. To get maximum germination, it is advisable to soak catalpa seeds for a day in warm water. When planting in a box with soil, the seeds need to be buried a little and then watered generously with warm water.
To preserve moisture, it is convenient to cover the container with transparent plastic film or cover it with a piece of plexiglass. After this, the improvised greenhouse is placed in a well-lit and fairly warm place. The seedlings must be regularly ventilated and watered, and when shoots appear after a couple of weeks, the lid can be removed.
With the onset of warm spring weather, it is advisable to take the strengthened catalpa seedlings out into the fresh air and gradually harden them. At the end of April or beginning of May, young plants are planted in open ground.
As mentioned earlier, the greatest danger to the life of the plant is wintering. To prevent the young catalpa from freezing, the soil around the tree must be mulched with a thick layer of foliage, and the trunk and crown are wrapped with available insulating material.
[!] The most adapted and frost-resistant catalpas grow from seeds or cuttings taken from trees that have been growing for a long time in harsh climatic conditions.
Propagation of catalpa by cuttings is not inferior to the generative method and in most cases is quite successful. Unlike seed preparation, cuttings are carried out at the end of summer. A part of a young shoot about 10-15 cm long is taken as planting material, so that a couple of leaves remain on the branch to ensure photosynthesis.
Catalpa cuttings are planted vertically in a container with a substrate for seedlings or in. The latter contain mass useful supplements, including for root growth, and effectively promote plant survival. Before the onset of autumn cold weather, it is better to keep the boxes outdoors, although immediately after planting it is advisable to cover the plants with film or plastic bottles to retain moisture and protect against drafts.
With the onset of cold weather, the seedlings are transferred to a warm place and grown at home. The root system of young catalpas is too weak and they will not withstand wintering in open ground. Only with the onset of spring warming in April-May can young trees be planted on the site.
Catalpa is quite resistant to most plant-killing infections and is practically not attacked by herbivorous insects.
Few, even experienced gardeners They know that the heat-loving Catalpa, the photo of which is shown below, has several varieties that can withstand temperatures down to -25 degrees.
Plants from the genus Catalpa of the Bignoniaceae family were described in early XVIII century by Carl Linnaeus himself. In the wild, the plant is distributed on the American continent, the Caribbean islands and Asian countries.
IN natural conditions very often represented by quite large trees, the height of which can be 20 - 40 meters. Although it can also grow as a multi-stemmed shrub. In nature, it most often grows in damp places, along rivers and other bodies of water.
It is important to know: American Indians attribute many wonderful properties to the plant and consider it a tree of happiness.
The plant has large heart-shaped leaves and is very decorative in any season. At the end of June, the entire plant is covered with white or cream flowers, tubular in shape or similar to slightly swollen bells.
Their original look is given by darker, often purple, red or brown spots and dots. The size of the flowers varies from 2.5 to 7 cm. The flowers are collected in large clusters and have a pleasant smell. In autumn, long fruits, from 0.2 to 0.4 m long, ripen on the trees - boxes, which are similar in shape to pods.
Catalpa Fargeza
Most often in culture you can find the following types plants:
For growing in the middle zone, the most suitable are the ovoid and the common “Nana”.
To plant on the site, you need to choose a well-lit place with neutral, moderately moist and fertile soil.
Light partial shade is also suitable for the plant. Clear the area of debris and dig up. Add sand and rotted compost to heavy clay soil when digging.
Note: large leaves of the plant may suffer from gusts strong wind, so it is advisable to choose places protected from the winds.
Spring is best season for planting, the plant will have time not only to take root during the season, but also to prepare for the winter period.
To plant a plant you need:
As the soil settles in the hole, it must be poured into the tree trunk circle so that the root collar is always at ground level. Further care caring for seedlings is not difficult, but has its own characteristics.
Almost all types of catalpa do not tolerate dry periods well, so organizing watering in the absence of sufficient rain is vital for the plant.
Advice: After each watering, the soil must be mulched to avoid excess evaporation. Volume of water under young tree for one watering it is 15 - 20 liters, for an adult - 40 liters. Drooping plant leaves will be a sign of lack of moisture.
It is necessary to pull out weeds and loosen the soil once a month, this is especially important for young specimens. Fertilizing should be done at least three times a season:
The composition of the nutrient mixture is selected depending on the soil and includes:
Most adult plants tolerate winter well; when shoots freeze, they quickly recover. But it is advisable to cover young trees or bushes for the first 2-3 years.
You can use burlap for this, and spruce spruce branches are suitable to protect the trunk and roots. In spring, the tree needs sanitary and/or formative pruning.
If private owners have these plants in their region of residence, botanical gardens or parks, then in the fall you can collect the seeds and grow catalpa yourself from seeds.
Take note: Plants grown from local seeds are hardier.
Sowing seeds is not particularly difficult. Before sowing, they need to be soaked for a day in water, and then planted in the chosen place, planted to a depth of 15 mm.
The planting site is periodically moistened; the seeds can be planted in a pot in winter and transplanted into the garden in the spring. If well-ripened seeds are used for planting, then there are no problems with germination. At about 9-10 days, seedlings appear.
The tree of happiness can also be propagated by cuttings. To do this, in the summer you need to cut cuttings about 15 cm long and with two or three leaves. Root in a damp mixture of peat and sand, on permanent place plant next year.
Among the diseases, the plant can be threatened by wilt, a fungal infection that greatly affects the foliage. It turns yellow and falls off. Sometimes this only happens on one side of the trunk.
To cure the tree of happiness and restore its decorative appearance, you need to spray it several times with the drug “Fundazol” and water the ground with the “Rovral” solution.
Keep in mind: maintaining a humidity regime is the best prevention of fungal diseases.
Among the insect pests that can annoy trees the most are small green beetles - ash beetles. The beetle flight is observed in late spring - early summer. They severely damage the leaves, leaving only petioles and central veins behind.
The larvae of these beetles try to penetrate the flowers and get on the body of earth bees or bumblebees. Together with them, they end up inside their nests, where they spend the winter. In the spring, the larvae pupate and after two weeks the adult insects begin to fly. Timely treatment with the drug “Karbofos” will help defeat the pest.
Suitable for large areas large species. A tall tree will look good when planted alone to create a bright and decorative accent in the central part of the garden.
Low-growing trees or shrubs are suitable for decorating garden paths and strengthening vertical slopes. Catalpa goes well with plantings decorative species oak and .
Unfortunately, at present, forms with colored and variegated leaves are rarely grown, although they are very decorative. However, any type of catalpa will decorate the garden.
ABOUT decorative properties Watch the catalpa or monkey tree in the following video:
Catalpa - extraordinarily beautiful decorative tree, which appeared in Russia back in the 19th century. Over time, this plant, originally from the southern regions, adapted to climate zones with cold winters. Today it can be found in parks and on personal plots the middle zone of our country, where it looks very exotic. Catalpa is valued for its beauty and high decorative qualities, but it is especially attractive during the flowering period, which is clearly visible in the photo.
The natural habitat of this exotic plant is North America, Asia and the West Indies. There are 11 known species. Some of them are grown as an ornamental tree or shrub in many countries.
Catalpa - mature plant
Catalpa leaves are round or heart-shaped, stay on the branches until frost, falling off when they arrive. The flowers are fragrant, white, pinkish or cream with purple veins on the inside, bell-shaped, collected in large panicles or clusters. Flowering is long-lasting, mainly in June-July. Catalpa looks very beautiful at this time, as you can see by looking at the photo flowering plant. The fruits are up to 50 cm long, in the form of a narrow box with flying seeds, externally resembling pods or icicles. With absence strong winds the fruits can stay on the branches all winter, giving snow-covered trees an unusual appearance.
Several varieties of catalpa take root well in Russia:
Catalpa flowering
These species have adapted well to the conditions of central Russia and can withstand even quite severe frosts. Gardeners fell in love with catalpa for its beauty during flowering, which occurs in summer rather than spring. Others ornamental shrubs and by this time the trees have already faded.
Breeders have developed several varieties of bignonia catalpa, which are distinguished by their elegant foliage:
Variety Aurea
Variety Nana
The most promising of these decorative forms For cultivation in the middle zone, the “Nana” variety is the most winter-hardy.
A well-lit place in the sun is optimal for planting catalpa, but it also grows in partial shade. These trees look great along garden paths, near a pond or in the center of a lawn. For planting, it is better to purchase an annual seedling.
Advice. To purchase a catalpa seedling, it is best to contact garden center or a specialized nursery in a nearby area. In this case, the purchased plants will be maximally acclimatized for growing in their area.
This culture has little demands on soils, but prefers moist, not too acidic, rich in organic matter and well-drained. Optimal time for planting - early spring. To plant a seedling, you need to dig a hole about 0.7-1.2 m deep. If several trees are planted, you must maintain a distance of about 3 m between them.
Catalpa seedlings
When preparing the planting substrate, mix river sand, leaf soil, peat, humus in a ratio of 2:2:1:3. Additionally, add wood ash and phosphate rock to the prepared pit. Place the seedling in the resulting mixture, bury it, water it well and mulch the surface with peat. The root collar of the tree should be level with the ground. Therefore, when planting a plant, you need to take into account further subsidence and compaction of the soil.
Attention! Large leaves and branches of the catalpa can break due to gusts of wind. When planting a tree, you need to choose places protected from winds, especially from cold winter winds, which can be destructive for plants.
On well drained and fertile soil The catalpa will grow without any problems, significantly stretching in height and giving a large increase in green mass every season. Plant care consists of:
It is recommended to water the catalpa every week, 2 buckets per plant. If there is no particular heat in the summer, watering can be reduced to 2-3 times a month. In addition, several times a season it will be necessary to loosen the soil in the tree trunk circle to remove weeds.
Young plants need to be watered regularly
Young trees require special attention. They need to be covered with spruce branches for the winter so that they do not freeze. You can also wrap the trunk several times in burlap. Mature plants are less afraid of frost. Sometimes it is enough just to mulch the tree trunk circle with dry leaves before the cold weather. Nevertheless, in severe frosts, the catalpa can partially or completely freeze out, but then grows back in the next season.
This crop, like other ornamental trees, requires pruning, mainly sanitary. In spring, damaged, dry and weak branches are removed.
The plant responds gratefully to the application of organic matter and mineral fertilizers. Good result can be achieved by fertilizing 2-3 times per season with slurry. Before feeding the tree, it is necessary to water it abundantly. One of the organic fertilizers can be replaced with universal fertilizer.
Catalpa reproduces in the following ways:
Catalpa cuttings
When propagated by cuttings, in the second half of summer they are cut to about 10 cm in size and planted in a substrate consisting of peat and river sand. To increase the survival rate, growth stimulants are used.
The seed method is also quite common. The seeds are soaked for several hours in warm water, then sown in a container with soil under a film to a depth of 1.5 cm. They can be planted both in autumn and spring. With the emergence of seedlings, the film cover is removed, picking them off as they grow.
The plant is quite resistant to diseases and pests. But it can be attacked by a Spanish fly, which can bring great harm in the form of deformation of shoots. It is necessary to treat the plant with an appropriate garden insecticide. In addition, if not proper care behind the soil around the tree there is a possibility of it being infected by the verticillium fungus, which leads to partial drying and even death of the plant.
Fungal infection of catalpa leaves
The exotic catalpa plant will decorate a park, garden or personal plot and will add a certain amount of originality and surprise to the overall composition. And with proper care, the tree will delight the gardener for many years with active growth and lush flowering.
There are a number of beauties in nature that touch even the most callous person. These can be considered catalpa tree- unusual in appearance at any time of the year, attracting the eye during flowering, surprising with large, wonderfully beautiful heart-shaped leaves and interestingly shaped fruits. If you want to surprise your acquaintances and passers-by, feel free to plant this in your garden. In addition to all its charms, it is also unpretentious. Read about the needs of the catalpa plant when growing and caring for it in this article.
Did you know? Due to the shape of the fruits in the form of long pods, catalpa is called a trumpet or pasta tree. And in its homeland, North America, the local population calls it a “cigar” tree.
In order to get an idea of what this plant is, we will describe its biological features. Catalpa (lat. Catalpa) is a small deciduous tree that grows on average up to 15 m in height and up to 1 m in width. Maximum size the trunk reaches 45 m.
The crown of the catalpa is spherical and dense. The leaves are large, heart-shaped or ovate. They reach a length of 30 cm and a width of 17 cm. They grow on long petioles.
Catalpa blooms in early summer with large, up to 20 cm, inflorescences in the form of erect panicles or brushes of white or cream color interspersed in the middle. The funnel-shaped flowers, of which there are 50 in the inflorescence, are very similar in appearance to Fragrant flowering lasts about a month. The first time it occurs is in a five-year-old catalpa. The inflorescences resemble candles in shape and appearance
The fruit of the tree has the shape of a box in the form of a cylinder, up to 40 cm long, similar in appearance to fruits, like the one inside it there are flattened seeds in the amount of 53-146 pieces. The fruits can remain on the tree throughout the winter.
Catalpa is interesting because in the fall its leaves do not turn yellow; they fall green at temperatures below 0 degrees. The plant also attracts attention because at the time when it blooms, all other trees have long since faded.
In the wild, catalpa is found in the territory East Asia and North America. As an ornamental tree with large leaves and long pods, it is grown in the southern regions of Russia, Germany, Ukraine and other countries.
The tree is very hardy, and its wood does not rot for a long time, while remaining soft and light. The plant can grow successfully both at low temperatures, for example in the northern states of America, and in the heat of India, Australia and Africa. It survives equally easily in conditions of arid steppes and on sea shores.
The plant is presented in shrub and shrub forms. Catalpa belongs to the Bignoniaceae family. The catalpa genus has 10 species. Among them, in addition to deciduous ones, there are also five species that are most common in Russia: bignonia, beautiful (magnificent), Bunge, ovoid, hybrid.
Did you know? Valuable wood catalpa is used for making crafts, furniture, sleepers, poles, underwater structures, and is used in construction.
After such a detailed acquaintance with the pasta tree, let's talk about how to grow it.
Catalpa - photophilous plant, therefore, when planting it, you should choose well-lit areas. To ensure that the tree does not lose its decorative value, care must be taken to ensure that the place where it grows is protected from drafts. Otherwise, winds can damage leaves and destroy flowers.
Catalpa does not require any special conditions when planting. It is advisable to dig a planting hole 1-1.2 m deep and water it abundantly. Then add in the form (5-7 kg) and A soil mixture of the following composition is placed at the bottom of the hole:
It is advisable to choose a seedling that is one year old. It must be placed in a hole so that the root collar is level with the ground surface, and sprinkled with the prepared soil mixture. After planting, the planted tree is watered abundantly, which will require at least a bucket of water. The trunk circle can be covered with peat. If you plan to plant several trees, then gaps of 3 m should be maintained between seedlings. The best time Early spring is the time for planting catalpa.
Important! It is better to purchase macaroni tree seedlings in specialized stores or well-established nurseries.
Catalpa refers to unpretentious plants. Caring for it is standard, it consists of watering, fertilizing, weeding, sanitary pruning, protective measures against diseases and pests.
It is necessary to feed the tree when planting. In subsequent years, during the growing season, slurry (diluted in water in a ratio of 1:10) should be added to the tree trunk circle two or three times - it is believed that this is the most best fertilizer for the pasta tree. Catalpa can also be fertilized with Kemira-universal (120 g / 1 m²). Before applying fertilizing, abundant watering is mandatory.
After each watering, it is advisable to loosen the soil in the tree trunk circle, combining with weeding from Loosening the soil should be deep– by 30-35 cm.
Catalpa pruning is performed for sanitary purposes. Every spring it is necessary to remove damaged, diseased and old branches. Shape-shaping pruning is also applied to the tree to give the crown a beautiful and well-groomed appearance.
Catalpa is no different good frost resistance. This is especially true for young trees. Therefore, they should be covered for the winter. You can resort to wrapping the trunks with burlap or spruce branches. To avoid freezing of the roots, pour a thick layer of dry leaves into the tree trunk circle. After the frost stops, in the spring, the shelter is removed. 
Important! As the tree grows, it will become more hardened, and its frost resistance will increase every year. Most winter-hardy species The catalpa is ovoid. She tolerates temperatures as low as -29°C .
It happens that the plant freezes slightly, but is restored in the spring. And, for example, a variety like Aurea can freeze to the ground, and then also completely grow again.
Catalpa is rarely affected by diseases and pests. Most often he can be attacked Spanish fly. To combat it, spraying is used. If not destroyed, the decorative appearance of the plant can be significantly damaged. 
Also the tree is sometimes affected fungus Verticillium. To avoid this, you must follow the basic rules of agricultural technology - regularly water and loosen the soil in the tree trunk circle. If the disease is neglected, it can cause drying out and death of the tree.
More recently, just a decade ago, catalpas grew only in botanical gardens. Today this tree is increasingly used in their compositions. landscape designers, it is loved by summer residents and city utilities, who actively use it to plant trees and greenery in the parks and alleys of megacities, because catalpas tolerate urban conditions well.
If we talk about planting in the city, the crown of the catalpa provides excellent shade, so the tree is good to plant near benches in recreation areas. It is also suitable for planting along highways, paths, and near ponds. 
The pasta tree looks great both in solitary planting and in group planting. In the southern regions, it is usually planted next to the eastern liquidambar and holly. Oak can also make a good company with catalpa. The combination looks beautiful in one place different varieties catalpas
There are varieties, such as bignonia-shaped Nana, that look great on a strain. This one dwarf variety is the most preferable for summer residents, since it does not require large plot for landing.
Catalpa is easy to grow yourself, as it has several methods of reproduction: seeds, cuttings, root suckers and grafting. The first two methods are most often used. 
From early spring to late autumn attracts attention beautiful tree- catalpa. With proper care, this tree can reach a height of up to 30 meters. The homeland of this highly ornamental plant is the southern part of North America. In America, catalpa grows along river banks. Back in the 18th century, the tree came to Europe, and today it can be found here, in Russia, and also in China, Japan and India.
In total, the plant has 10 species, but in our gardens and parks the most commonly grown are catalpa bignonia and catalpa magnificent. This tree stands out from the general green mass on the plot due to its large foliage.
The plant blooms for four weeks, starting in mid-summer. During the flowering period, the tree is very beautiful - its crown is covered with very large inflorescences of pinkish or whitish, cream color, which exude a slightly sweet apple aroma. By autumn, fruits appear on the tree - long pods reaching a length of up to 40 cm, which remain on the branches throughout the winter. The tree looks extremely unusual throughout the year, and can become the main decoration local area. Catalpa has a peculiarity - the foliage of the tree does not turn yellow with the arrival of autumn, but flies green when the temperature drops below 0.
In catalpa, reproduction occurs not only by cuttings, but also by sowing seeds. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages.
Catalpa is very easily propagated by seeds. The seeds should be collected in the fall, when the pods are well ripened. Store the seed for two years in a dry and always cool room. It is best to store seeds wrapped in paper or cloth.
In order for the seeds to germinate, and the first shoots to appear in about 3-4 weeks, they should be provided with warmth, light and humidity.
Catalpa cuttings occur in the summer, in the second half; cuttings should be prepared if you want to propagate catalpa vegetative way. For cuttings, cut healthy shoots up to 10 cm long with 3-4 healthy buds. 
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Cuttings take root well in nutritious soil. Before planting, the branches are placed in a growth stimulator for several hours to speed up root formation. Cuttings can be planted in boxes with nutritious soil and kept in a warm room. Already next spring, young plants will be ready for transplanting into open ground.
The best time to plant this elegant tree is spring, when the soil and air have warmed up well enough. Although planting in the fall is possible, it is better to leave it until the spring.
Open, sunny areas, well protected from winds and drafts, are ideal for this plant. Wind can easily damage the plant's delicate leaves.
If we talk about soil preferences, then for successful cultivation Catalpas do not need fertile, nutritious soil. On the contrary, it is desirable that the soil is not too fertile and richly fertilized, since a large number of nutrients stimulates too active growth of young shoots, which will freeze over the winter anyway. For catalpa, it is quite enough to add humus or even coal to the soil as fertilizer. The ideal soil for growing a tree should be neutral in acidity and well-drained. Do not forget that catalpa does not tolerate excess moisture very well, and therefore areas with close ground or stagnant water in spring time are not suitable for her. Ideally moderate soil moisture.
The initial planting of catalpa is carried out in a container, which is filled with a mixture of river sand, chernozem, peat and mature humus in a ratio of 2:2:1:3.
Sowing seeds can be done both in spring and autumn. In open ground, seeds are sown in furrows, sprinkled with a little soil. It is advisable to create Greenhouse effect so that the seeds sprout together. To do this, it is better to sow the seeds in boxes that can be covered with glass. The glass must be removed regularly to moisten the seedlings and ventilate them.
The temperature for seed germination should be about 20-25 degrees. It is necessary to water the plantings moderately and provide them with light. Grown seedlings, if you sow the seeds in autumn or winter, are transplanted into the garden when they are stable warm weather. As a rule, young plants are transplanted into open ground at the end of May.
To plant seedlings, you need to prepare planting holes in advance. The holes are dug deep - up to 1 meter and wide - up to 70 cm in diameter. First of all, you need to focus on the size of the root system of the tree. To the bottom landing pit you should pour 7 kg of wood ash, add 50 grams of phosphate rock and a bucket of humus mixed with sand and peat.
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If you are planting several trees, the minimum distance between them should be 3 meters. It is optimal to leave a distance of about 5 meters between seedlings.
When planting, the seedling is held vertically and lowered into a hole, covered tightly with earth and watered well. Make sure that the root collar of the seedling is flush with the ground. The tree trunk circles are mulched immediately after planting. Peat, sawdust, lawn grass, straw. The mulch layer should be about 10 cm.
After planting, young trees initially need increased watering. It is necessary to water the plants generously once a week, using at least a bucket of water for each tree. For the first few years, young trees are protected from frost to prevent them from freezing. On average, the plant grows by 1 meter per year, flowering occurs at 4-5 years of age.
Catalpa can be classified as unpretentious plants that require a minimum of care and attention. The tree grows quickly and requires increased attention only in the first couple of years after planting.
Be sure to loosen the circles around the trunk after each watering. During loosening, weeds should also be removed. It is necessary to loosen the soil deeply enough, 30 cm, since the root system of the catalpa is taproot and it is very difficult to damage it. The plant will benefit from deep drainage and deep loosening.
Water the trees generously every week. It is enough to pour about 1-2 buckets of water under young plants. More than two buckets of water are poured under adult specimens, especially during dry periods. When watering, it is important not to allow water to stagnate, and therefore you should not be too zealous and overwater the plant.
If a tree lacks moisture, its foliage will sag and lose turgor, and the plant itself will weaken.
At the beginning of the growing season, organic fertilizers should be applied to the catalpa. You can use spray or slurry. It is enough to apply about 5-7 liters of slurry under an adult tree every spring.
With the beginning of flowering, the tree will gratefully accept mineral fertilizers. Usually, after watering, the plant is fed with any mineral composition.
Only young specimens that have not yet become lignified are covered for the winter. It is enough to wrap the trunks with burlap or any covering material, and cover the tree trunk circles with a thick layer of leaves.
With age, catalpa becomes more frost-resistant. Even if for very coldy The shoots of the tree will freeze very much, and new branches will quickly grow in their place next spring.
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In spring, the tree needs sanitary pruning, the purpose of which is to remove frozen and dry branches. Most often, annual shoots freeze over the winter. Catalpa tolerates pruning well and quickly produces an increase in green mass after it. Many gardeners also shape the tree crown using formative pruning.
This plant compares favorably with many other garden inhabitants due to its increased resistance to diseases and pests. But sometimes a Spanish fly can attack a tree, causing great harm. If this insect attacks a tree, the branches will begin to deform. To get rid of Spanish fly, the tree should be treated several times with garden insecticides.
At improper processing In the soil, the tree can become infected with a fungal disease caused by the Verticillium fungus. This fungus causes leaves and shoots to dry out, and can even cause the death of the plant. But at an early stage, this catalpa disease can be cured if the plant is treated several times with fungicides, for example, Topsin-M.
The tree looks very original and highly decorative, and thanks to this it is widely used in landscape design. This type looks great both alone and in landscape compositions, next to other trees and shrubs in the garden.
The leaves of the catalpa are somewhat reminiscent of the ears of an elephant, and the spherical, neatly shaped crown with an abundance of delicate inflorescences attracts attention. A plant similar to a catalpa is not so easy to find, but its unpretentiousness in growing makes it a desirable inhabitant of any garden or park.
Catalpa perfectly tolerates city pollution, arid climate and winter cold. And on a hot sunny day, the tree will share its coolness and provide saving shade and freshness.
