Southern catalpa

The Southern Catalpa is an average sized deciduous tree. It is in the Catalpa family and is native to the Eastern United States. This tree is most commonly grown as an ornamental tree. The tree is also widely known for the moths that live there and are commonly used as fishing bait. It can grow almost anywhere and is very adaptable. It is an invasive species if it does not have the proper care.

Body Design


The Southern Catalpa can grow anywhere from 25 to 40 feet tall. It is a rather average sized tree and the branches, which are short and crooked, form a wide spreading crown. Some Southern Catalpas have been found up to 75 feet tall. The trees trunk can be anywhere from 2 to 3 feet in diameter. The bark on young trees are thin and smooth, but it eventually flakes off. Stem bark is usually reddish brown or grey. The wood of the catalpa tree is known for being rot resistant. This tree has heart shaped leaves with palmate venation and are 6 to 12 inches long and about half as wide, the petiole is almost as long as the leaf. Two to three leaves grow off of each node of the tree. The Southern Catalpa is deciduous and its flowers bloom in the spring. The leaves are a kelley green on the top with a smooth surface, but when you flip it over it is a paler green and is fuzzy on the underside especially on the veins. When the leave fall in the autumn they turn to a yellow color.

Flowers usually have from 10 to 20 flowers in each bunch. They are large and white and have a bell shape. The flower has 5 lobes with different colored spotting and 2 fertile stamens in the middle. The Southern Catalpa flowers grow from one to one and a half inches long and wide. Fruit that grows on the Southern Catalpa is mature by October but stays on the tree until spring. The fruit hangs from the end of the stems. It is slender and has pod like features. Dried fruit splits in the winter and can be collected for the seeds.

Life Cycle
When you are growing a Southern Catalpa it is advised to let the seeds you are going to use be on the tree for a winter before you use them. It needs to be planted in a open space with shelter from the wind and somewhere that it can get sun. They live to be around 70 years old, which is pretty young for a tree of its size. It does not do well when it is surrounded by other plants but it can handle environmental stress. When you plant the seeds they need to be spaced a part. It can become a problem with too many of these trees in one area when moths and parasites come into the mix. Seeds can be planted in a garden until they are 2 years old, then they are ready to be planted in a field. After you have planted these seeds they need to be covered in 1 to 2 inches of mulch and make sure to give them an adequate amount of water. When growing them you should strive for your tree to be around 20 to 30 feet tall with a wide crown.

Other then that the Catalpa tree goes through the normal tree life cycle. The seeds are dropped on the ground in the spring after they have matured. Then the seeds are taken and planted to grow more trees. Then the seed starts to acquire leaves and then turns into a small tree. After it is a small tree it continues growing until it reaches maturity when it can produce fruit and flowers. This takes about 10 years for the Southern Catalpa.

Ecology
Most Southern Catalpas today are used for decorative purpose because of their beautiful flowers and the shady area that they provide. The other popular use is to plant it because it attracts Catalpa Worm which is often used as fish bait. If it is planted in the right conditions then it may become invasive and unwanted but this does not occur very often and mostly happens when the tree is not being cared for correctly. When this tree is planted in a yard it is important to remember to plant it far away from any fences or plumbing so that it has plenty of space to grow and mature. Some setbacks to having this tree is that it takes a lot of upkeep. It looses its leaves in the fall, its flowers in the spring, and its seeds in the winter. One other minor hesitation to having this plant is its unpleasant odor, when its leaves are crushed a foul odor is released. It is an invasive and weedy plant which makes upkeep a constant chore.

The Southern Catalpa is a perennial deciduous plant that is native to the US. These trees like to be planted deep in moist soil but are fairly adaptable to most conditions. It likes to have partial sun and shade. The Southern Catalpa can live up to 50 years. If the tree trunk is harmed before it is fully matured it can harm the plant pretty easily because the wood is still flimsy. It was first cultivated in 1726 and was found along the Gulf Coast States. The Catalpa Worm eats the leaves off of the trees. Sometimes it can eat all of the leaves on the tree. Verticillum wilt can also harm the trees. It causes a white powder on the leaves and can end up killing the trees.

Catalpa Sphinx Moth
One of, if not the most notable things about the Southern Catalpa tree are the Catalpa Worms. They are only found in the Catalpa Trees. The moth is found on the eastern side of the US. These worms are often used as fish bait. The trees are commercially grown to supply this worm as fish bait to fishermen. When you are looking for a place to plant this tree to attract this moth it is best to have moist soil and shade. The moths have been known to be most attracted to open areas with wind protection.

The Catalpa Sphinx Moth eats the leaves of the tree. When there are lots of the larvae in one tree they can eat all of the leaves off of the tree and completely defoliate it. These moths will lay their eggs from March to April. They lay anywhere from 100 to 1000 eggs at one time on the bottom of the trees leaves. The eggs of this moth molt within 5 to 7 days. When a larvae is full grown it gets to about 3 inches. The larvae molt for about a month and at the end of this month it has a pupa without a cocoon that is about an inch long. 2 weeks after the adult emerges. These Moths have about a 6 week life cycle and there can be 3 to 4 generations in one year.