Catalpa (Latin Catalpa) is a genus of subtropical plants from the Bignonius family. Most representatives are flowering deciduous trees, shrubs. The natural habitat is the Far East, North and South America. Due to the unusual appearance, catalpa is used to decorate parks, gardens, house territories. Leaves, flowers, bark have medicinal properties. These exotic trees are also often called "happy", "pasta", "elephant".
Botanical Description
In the wild, many species grow on fertile moist soils, reaching 20 m. There are also taller, up to 25 m, specimens. In culture, these are large shrubs, compact or medium-sized trees. Their root system goes several meters deep, sensitive to any mechanical damage. Trunks are rarely linear, in wood forms they are quite massive, branched. The bark is dark gray, tuberous, with deep cracks. Lateral shoots are long, widely spaced from the trunks, form a powerful crown.
The leaves are simple, large, heart-shaped, green, with elongated thin petioles, solid edges, pointed tips. Located opposite or whorled. The size of leaf blades is up to 30 cm in length, about 15–18 cm in width. Outwardly resemble elephant ears. On a smooth or slightly rough surface, a network of thin veins is clearly visible.
The flowers are bisexual, about 2-3 cm in size, funnel-shaped, similar to bells. Petals with a tubular fused base, bent outward lobes. Coloring is cream, white, peach, pink. The pharynx is decorated with contrasting dots. Stamens are bright yellow. Corollas are collected in brush-shaped panicle inflorescences of 10–25 pcs. Catalpa shape, shades of petals resemble chestnut.
The plant begins to bloom in the middle or end of June. The crowns of trees and shrubs in this period are strewn with a thick veil of petals, a delicate aroma attracts the surrounding bees. Plants are wonderful melliferous plants.
Fruits form in August. These are thin pods up to 40 cm long, green in color, hanging on branches. Under the shell there are many small, light seeds equipped with wings. Pods can be kept on trees throughout the winter.
Species and varieties
In total, there are about 30 species of catalpa in nature. Despite the tropical origin, they exhibit good adaptive properties, some are quite frost-resistant.
Bignoniform, or ordinary
Catalpa bignonioides - one of the most common types. The natural habitat is northeastern North America. These are deciduous trees of medium height, up to 10 m, trees with a spreading dense crown. The trunks are covered with a dark brown thick embossed bark. Leaves are heart-shaped, smooth, large. Their size is twice or three times the palm of an adult. In spring, they have a yellowish tint, with the onset of summer they become bright green.
Inflorescences are white, pink or ivory, up to 30 cm in size. The inner part of the petals with dark red dots. The fruits are long, hanging, with the onset of the first frosts turn brown.
Trees withstand cold up to -30 ° C, can grow in a temperate continental climate.
Catalpa Bignoniform Nana
Straight-stem low, up to 6–7 m, trees with dense and very dense spherical crowns. The bark is light brown, quite smooth, thin. The leaves are bright green, about 15 cm in size, widened at the base, with pointed tips. The variety is highly decorative, hygrophilous, does not tolerate extreme heat, drought, is demanding on the composition of soils. Prefers loose nutritious loam. It grows rather slowly, does not bloom.
Bunge, or Manchu
Catalpa bungei originally from northern China. The species was officially named after the German botanist Alexander Bunge, who first discovered and described it. This massive tree is about 7–10 m in height. The crown is thick, pyramidal. The leaves are dark green, located on thin petioles, large, with a rounded wide base, fine-toothed edges, wedge-shaped narrowed to the apex.
Flowers about 3 cm in size, pale pink, with crimson dots on the inside of the petals, collected in corymbose inflorescences of 8-10 pieces.
The view has an average frost resistance. At temperatures below -15 ° C, the plant freezes.
Catalpa is gorgeous
Catalpa speciosa grows well in humid, warm and temperate continental climates, quickly adapts to unfamiliar weather conditions. Outwardly resembles an ordinary catalpa. These are large, up to 10 m, trees with wide ovoid crowns. Leaves are bright green, smooth or slightly pubescent, reaching a size of 20 × 15 cm. The flowering is plentiful. Large brushes, white or light cream in color, stay on the branches for 2-3 weeks.
Application
Catalps are decorative, contain biologically active substances.
Wood
Array in technical properties resembles oak. Often the plant is called American, or French oak. The most common source of lumber is the longest catalpa. This is a fairly massive breed, growing in Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica and other areas of the Caribbean. Other species do not build up enough wood.
The core of the logs is grayish-brown, with a pronounced natural pattern. The sapwood is lighter. The fibers are straight, the structure of the material is homogeneous. Density of dried wood - 690–800 kg / m3. Catalpa is resistant to swelling, fungal damage, is well machined. It is used in the manufacture of furniture, parquet, decoration materials. At home, wood goes to the construction of ships, the construction of frames of low-rise buildings.
Healing properties
The bark, leaves, flowers contain a complex of resins, tannins, glycosides, essential oils, tannins. Dried raw materials are used in alternative medicine to treat diseases of the digestive and respiratory systems, infectious pathologies, and joint inflammations. Cuttings, ulcers are washed with infusions of flowers, they are applied to boils. In veterinary medicine, leaves are added to livestock feed for the prevention of parasitic infections.
Landscape design
Due to the high decorative and adaptive qualities, catalps are excellent for landscaping streets, creating hedges, garden ensembles. Large, dense foliage releases a lot of oxygen, traps dust. Flowering trees are very picturesque, look good in group and single plantings, are able to decorate any landscape. Catalps go well with coniferous shrubs, jasmine, hawthorn, holly.
Landing
The choice of place must be approached responsibly. Catalps do not tolerate transplants, excessive shading. They need well-lit, protected from strong winds, flat areas with slightly acidified, drained soil. Groundwater should occur at great depths. The distance from other large plants, walls of houses, capital fences, communications is at least 3 m.
For planting, it is optimal to choose biennial seedlings. Work is carried out before or after the end of active vegetation, i.e. in April or October.
Pre-prepare the soil mixture from:
- humus - 3 parts;
- leaf soil - 2 parts;
- peat - 2 parts;
- wood ash - 2 parts;
- river sand - 1 part.
Pits are dug with a depth and a width of about 80 cm. About 10 cm of stone drainage, chipped bricks are poured into the bottom, then they are filled with soil to half the height. The roots are placed in the hole so that the neck is slightly above the surface.
After planting, the plant is watered abundantly. Circle in front of the barrelmulch peat.
Care
Catalpe needs a lot of moisture. One copy requires about 20 liters of water per week. In the dry period, you need to moisten twice as often. If the rainfall is plentiful, reduce the number of irrigation to 2 times a month. Even with daily rains, trees should be additionally watered at least once a month.
In the absence of mulching, trunks regularly loosen. This prevents moisture stagnation.
Trees are fed with rotted organics, mineral mixtures. About 2 times a month in spring and summer, you can pour under the roots a bucket of liquid solution of cow manure. In April, it is recommended to make nitrogen fertilizers, before laying buds add a mixture of phosphoric, potassium salts.
In the early years, only freezing and diseased branches are cut. Do it at the end of March. With the advent of full skeletal shoots, crown formation can begin. Catalps are usually given a decorative look, exposing the trunk to a height of 120-180 cm, cutting the branches in accordance with the desired shape. It is impossible to overzealous, because plants are restored quite slowly.
Heat-loving species need protection from frost in the winter. Their crowns must be covered with burlap, and the roots with a thick layer of leaves or spruce branches.
Diseases and Pests
The subtropical plant is rarely affected by parasites, it is also resistant to fungal infections. Catalpa’s main enemy is the Spanish fly. The united edges of leaves, holes indicate the appearance of a pest. Get rid of the parasite with the help of insecticides.
The fungal strain of Verticill usually appears with improperly organized drainage or insufficient loosening. The crowns of the trees are covered with brown spots, many dried shoots appear.
Breeding
Catalpa is usually not bred with seeds. This is a troublesome, time-consuming method. Planting material is first soaked for 12 hours in warm water, then sown in containers with soil to a depth of about 1 cm. Before emergence, cover the surface with glass or film. They contain seedlings at a temperature of 20–22 ° С, they are watered 2-3 times a week. In the second year of life, seeds begin to harden, regularly taking them out in the summer. After another year, transplanted into the open ground.
Cuttings - a traditional vegetative method of catalpa breeding. For breeding, two-year-old shoots with developed buds are separated from adult specimens in early June, cut into cuttings about 8 cm long. For rooting, they are deepened halfway into the nutrient soil from peat and sand. For 2 weeks, cover with a glass flask, daily moisten the substrate. After a year, the cuttings form their own root system, the first leaves appear on them. Plants are transplanted into the ground in the spring, so that they have time to grow stronger.