Catalpa southern seeds

Southern catalpa / Catalpa bignonioides

A beautiful tree up to 16 meters in height, with broad-ovate, large leaves. Bisexual with a bipartite calyx and with a bipartite corolla flowers up to 2.5 cm, swollen-bell-shaped, white on the outside, purple on the inside, dotted with yellow spots and stripes; such beautiful flowers are collected in terminal racemes, there are five stamens in a flower, of which only two have anthers; one pistil, ovary with many ovules.

The fruit is a multi-seeded capsule. Winged seeds. Catalpa is grown as an ornamental plant.

For cultivation, it is better to use sunny places, protected from the wind, as large and tender leaves of catalpa are severely damaged in drafts.

Catalpas are planted at a distance of 4 - 5 meters from each other. The soil mixture is prepared from humus, leafy soil, peat, sand (3:2:1:2). When planting, 5-8 kg of wood ash should be added under each plant. The acidity of the soil should be close to neutral (pH 6.5-7.5).

To increase the germination of seeds, you should first soak them in warm water for 7 to 12 hours.

Seeds are sown in February or March, sprinkled with a thin layer of earth and covered with glass or film. Providing them with a place with diffused sunlight, a temperature of 15 - 25 ° C and regular watering, you can hope for germination within a month.

Then the shelter should be removed and continue to care for the seedlings until May. When stable warm weather is established, seedlings can be planted in open ground.

Catalpa care is not complicated and consists in watering 15 - 20 liters per plant - once a week. Catalpas respond well to feeding, so they can be fed 2-3 times during the season: with slurry (1:10) at the rate of 6 liters for each adult plant. In the spring, dry branches damaged by frost are annually removed. After pruning, intensive growth of shoots is noted, the plant restores the crown well. Young plants can freeze in severe winters to the snow cover. With age, winter hardiness increases. Successfully propagated without any special treatment by seeds and summer cuttings, the survival rate is 30-50%.

Other names southern catalpa, cigartree, and Indian-bean-tree.