Catalpa bignonioides ‘Aurea’ (Southern Catalpa)

Making a stupendous color display, award-winning Catalpa bignonioides ‘Aurea’ (Southern Catalpa) is a medium-sized deciduous tree boasting huge, heart-shaped, golden-yellow leaves becoming light yellow-green in summer. In late spring to early summer, ravishing conical panicles of 10-20 trumpet-shaped, white flowers, 1.5 in. across (4 cm), with abundant yellow stripes and purple speckles on their throats, bloom dramatically above the leaves. The flowers give way to prodigious quantities of long slender green seedpods, 15 in. long (37 cm), that mature in fall to dark brown and persist through winter. Very adaptable to adverse conditions, ‘Aurea’ makes a grand statement in the landscape and serves as an ornamental shade or street tree.

• Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society.
• Grows up to 20-30 ft. tall (6-9 m) and 15-20 ft. wide (4-6 m).
• Thrives in average, moist, well-drained soils in full sun or part shade. This tree is not fussy about soil conditions but prefers moist, fertile, loams. Shelter from strong winds as these may damage the large leaves
• Virtually pest free. Keep an eye out for verticillium wilt. Deer resistant.
• No routine pruning necessary. Remove diseased, damaged, congested or crossing shoots.
• Propagate by softwood cuttings or grafting.