To answer that I would need to know the caliper. It sounds high but I'm used to buying directly from growers. Fast growing trees that are 2" caliper I normally pay around $100-120 for 1 or 2 trees. Retail could expect to pay more than that obviously.

How do I buy direct from growers?

Get the best deal you reasonably can, a good tree with a good warranty, but dont spend ten hours of time trying to save eighty bucks

Find one that sells to the public.

Also, agreed it is impossible to tell whether 200.00 is too much with the info given.

Dan

You need to price trees with various nurseries in your area. One person is going to say its dirt cheap and another is going to say your overpaying.

For the Milwaukee area we can get a 2-2.5" caliper Catalpa for $115.

Not to burst your bubble, but you look like you have a typical sized suburban lot. There are many better choices than Catalpa to plant...just my opinion.

And as the previous post mentioned you have to go by the pot size or caliper not the height of the tree.

To sort of bounce off of what whaas said, I see few catalpas that IMHO look good alone. To me they look better in a grouping to hide their flaws. Honeylocusts, f'r instance, are a better choice.

Dan

Warranty isn't all that important when these conditions are met a.) know you're buying quality and b.) It's freshly dug by a reputable grower and c.)you know how to plant a tree. d.) the tree is adapted to where it's being planted.

If you're buying something that has been in a nursery for any period of time or garden center, a good warranty is gold. The growers I buy from do not offer a warranty but I make a point to avoid buying from retail nurseries that don't have warranties.

As for how to buy from growers.... Ask nicely. Say pretty please. Beg. Promise you won't be a p.i.t.a.. Tell them you're a landscaper. Cry. (If necessary)

Only kidding about the crying.

I think one of the attractions to Catalpa is the slightly irregular growing habit.

It will sure be an upright tall tree. Just hey all seem a little bit unique of shape.

Plant a Pin Oak, you know exactly what it will look like, your neighbors. Catalpa is a little different.

I really love Catalpa. It really differs from other trees beside it. Please checking my fugly honeylocust. I think the picture confirms that it needs to go down. LOL.

If you really want a catalpa and are concerned about planting them where size may be an issue, there is the option of choosing Chinese catalpa. I have a C. ovata and it's maturing very nicely and although has a wide canopy, I doubt it goes over thirty feet. Probably near it now. It is probably also slightly less winter hardy than Southern or Northern Catalpa. Should handle zone five with some protection.

Hiya Virtue!! Nice to see you over here with the trees!! It's so funny that you are going to get a Catalpa..I love them too and just picked up some seed pods. Their blossoms are so beautiful in the Spring and they give such nice shade with their big leaves. Where are you going to place your tree? I hope you post some pictures after you finally get it.
Joann

Hi Joann,

I already bought Catalpa seedling from Arborday. Today, I went to Countryside Nursery to look at the Catalpa tree they are selling. The tree is like 10-12 ft tall with 2" caliper. It's $375. It's so expensive! :(

She told me that it's 12 years old. I was upset to hear about the number of years it took to get to 10-12 ft. I was under the impression that they're fast growing. Looks like Silver maple is much more faster then. My friend planted a 1" caliper silver maple last 2007. Height was 10 ft. Now the caliper is like 3" and about 15 tall.

Thanks.

Virtuous,

They do grow fast. Quite fast. In my yard, they are weed trees. Seed pods fall and they start all over the place. I have one that I cut down while it was about 10' tall (previous owners did not take care of property) and I have to nip off all the buds once every couple weeks or it'll grow into a tree in no time. In my yard they are not that different than.... ::gulp:: tree of heaven!

They are quite unique looking and very different trees...and can look odd at times. But, if you love the look and love the tree, there is no reason to hide it with another tree. Defeats the purpose. Personally, I find them to be quite a bit more attractive than honey locust!

In summary, paying 375 is a waste for a catalpa! They grow readily from seed! Paying 375 dollars for a catalpa tree is similar to buying snake oil back in the day. If you can find one for around 100 that would be more reasonable, still quite expensive though.

I'm assuming it didn't cost much at all from arborday. Just plop it in the ground and see if it grows. Don't be *too* impatient!

They are all over here in Cleve, they're gorgeous.

The 2 nurseries I found who sell them thinks people who buy unusual trees doesn't do some research. The other one is selling a 10 ft tall for about $200. That is still expensive. The catalpa tree is really rare in our area. I think they're taking advantage of its being rare.

I only paid $9 for a 24 inch Northern Catalpa. The description when I bought it says "dormant bare root". They're going to ship it to me in October. I just hope it makes it.

I really like how they look like. I don't care about the height. If I will replace plant the Catalpa to where my honeylocust is, the distance from my house is 23 ft. That's enough right?

What about $25-$30 for a 3/4 inch caliper catalpa tree?

Its not that they are rare they just aren't sold as much in the trade due to their disease suseptiability, possible gangly habit and the ugly seed pods.

The nicely shaped ones are quite stunning in bloom though.

They are fairly fast growing in clay soils around here.

i'll make sure that the one i will buy looks nice :)

I have both Chinese catalpa (c. ovata) and Northern Catalpa (c. speciosa) and they are easy to start from seed and quick growing. Of the two, Chinese Catalpa is actually hardier, suffering little to no die back thus far in zone 3. My tree is quite a nice shape and about 8 feet high in it's fourth year. It bloomed as early as the second year. I know of another person in zone 3 growing it as well as says he's had good results.

Northern catalpa suffers more winter damage here. In fact there are some growing by the Manitoba Legislature (government grounds by the Red River) planted years ago and they are more like multi-branched big lilac shrubs (maybe 12 feet tall) due to winter damage but they survive. I started mine from seed and grew it in a pot for 3 years (mainly because I had no space to plant it). It recently went in the front yard where I'd rather have a large shrub/small tree than the huge spruce which previously occupied that spot.

Regards,
Glen

I actually saw a catalpa tree in Olbrich Garden and the height was only 10-12 ft. It was flowers too. I'll contact them and ask how old it is. :)

That's a good info Glen. Maybe I can ask seeds from your Chinese Catalpa? :) Please let me know.

Thanks!

That's good to hear about the C. ovata hardiness. Mine has seen -10 easily, but I frequently get the foliage burnt on late freezes and it has to come again. Poor tree also gets denuded occasionally by catalpa sphinx moth. There have been two or three years in its lifetime here where it has lost foliage twice in one year when the late freeze hits the same year as the moth and I was sorely concerned if it would survive. But it did and it just keeps cranking. Also would agree that catalpas are very easily started by seed.

Glen, please post a pic of your chinese catalpa. I want to see how they look like.

Thanks!

I went to the place where I saw the Catalpa trees previously. I went right at the very main trunk. It is huge, massive! I pulled one seedpod but I don't think it's ready. It's still green. I'll post a pic later. When will it become black?

Hi there folks. I went to the nursery to check out the 4.5 ft N Catalpa they're selling. It's $25. Please comment.

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Looks like its branching off to a v and might be hard to select one of the two as the central.

I'd skip it.

That's what I noticed too.

I just checked the tag on mine. It's the Northern Catalpa about waist high to me. cost me $12. on one of these threads I read plant somewhere with protection - exactly what does that mean - I have a 3 ft black rock fence - would that help? next to my house? on the north side? beside another tree? would sure love some input before I stick this baby in the ground!!! Thx

***I read plant somewhere with protection

Maybe when your neighbors sees it, they will dig it up? :D

Ok, 18 ft Northern Catalpa for $490. OUCH! it's multitrunk too.

I think I will just harvest seed. I actually took a seed pod the other day. It was rock hard but still color green. I don't think I will get seeds from those. When do the seed pods turn dark brown in zone 5a? September? October?

Virtuosity, the seed pods will dry to brown. I would send you some seed but I don't think I can (over the border and all that). I think they ripen by late Sept/Oct. Last year's seeds were still on the tree this spring. Anyway, here are some pics. The first pic is Chinese Catalpa, tree about 10 feet high and looking good (though crammed into a small part of the yard):

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Here is Northern Catalpa just planted this summer. The reason it's 3 years old and still only 3 feet tall is that it was stunted from growing in a pot for too long (I had no where to plant it until a spruce was removed from the front yard, ignore the lack of grass - we haven't planted grass where the spruce was yet). If it suffers some winter dieback here I don't mind, I actually want it more like a large shrub:
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glen3a,

I want the catalpa seeds from you since it grows in zone 3a. That is really amazing!!! :)

Why can't you send me seeds by mail?

Your second picture is similar to what I saw at the nursery. Do you think it will grow wide rather than upright? I'm looking for an upright.

How old is your Chinese Catalpa, the first picture?

I decided to buy the catalpa I posted above. I'll try to train it while it's young.

I planted it today at the back, southwest location. I monitored where my existing trees/plants are casting its shadow. I planted it in such a way that it will give ample shadow from 3-5pm over the future patio. :)

That's great news. I assume you mean the $25 tree? Think of it this way - some people spend that on a hanging basket with annual flowers. You'll hopefully have your tree for many years.

What I meant about seeds is I don't think they are allowed across the border without a health certificate. I am not sure how sticky they are with that. I don't mind sharing my Chinese catalpa seeds though they aren't ripe yet.

Regards,
Glen

Yup, the $25 tree. However, he gave it to me for $20! :D

Here is she is.

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Dumb question but how do you train a tree with a 45 degree leader off the main trunk?

Dumb question but how do you train a tree with a 45 degree leader off the main trunk?

Once I see shoots from the side, I'll take off the 2 stems. I think it's worth a try.

Also, please look at the mature catalpa trees I posted on my other thread. The tops aren't straight as well. That's fine with me.

Here is a link that might be useful: Catalpa

Looks great Neil!

I have my seeds, now I just need to figure out the best time to start them. :-)

Emily

I saw my Catalpa this morning. Most of the leaves turned brown. We went down below 55F the other night. So that's how fragile they are or maybe my tree isn't established yet.

Went to Lakewood ave(just about 4 miles from my house) to see how the pods are looking. I see some browning now on the seed pods. Maybe if I go back 3rd week of this month, I'll have catalpa seeds. Do the pods drop?

V1, the large Catalpas in your pics on the other thread are really nice-looking. Your little tree looks happy. Why not cut off one of the two leaders and have it grow a single trunk?

I like Catalpa trees too. They are somewhat coarse trees, but the fragrant blooms are spectacular. There are several growing in the woodland across the street, also there is a large one growing along the sidewalk at my rental house. Not really a great location jammed up against a sidewalk and street (not a spacious sidewalk and grass strip like the one in your pics).

I think if you grow one from seed, the seedling will grow much faster than a 10 year old tree in a nursery pot has grown.

Thanks for the info Terrene. I'll look at the pods again this weekend to see if they're completely brown.

Check this out. I left the seed pod in front of my house for 2 weeks under the sun, they finally turned brown and ripened. Do you think those seeds are ready? I'm hoping they are very easy to start from seed. Any tips?

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Just an update. I winter sowed few seeds and they germinated. I think I have 5 more catalpa now. :)

Also, I thought that my Catalpa tree was dead. I've been looking at it daily. It was only today that I saw a green come out of the branch. It is alive!

My twenty foot or so catalpa is just now popping out some green buds. They take a while to leaf out. Congrats on getting sprouts from your seeds! I get baby trees in my yard quite frequently, in fact I think my tree may be a baby from the neighbor's mature tree. They do grow fast, I've measured some branches on mine to have grown two feet in one season. The flowers are beautiful. One of my favorite trees.

Karen

Congrats on your sprouts V1! Although, this tree self-sows regularly so it's not surprising they would be easy to germinate.

The trees across the street are only just budding, whereas most all other trees are leafing out. I think Catalpa speciosa is one of the very last trees to leaf out around here.

Also, it is one of the first to drop leaves in the fall. First hard freeze and wham! All the leaves drop at once. IMO this has its advantages. They can be cleaned up easily and you're done. I've also been thinking that a Catalpa would make a great shade tree for the house. You get maximum sun on the house in the Spring and Fall. Unlike my Pin oak - which shades the house far longer than I would like, probably well into November!

Karen,

Your 20ft tree, how long did it take to reach that height?

That's a great info Terrene! Thanks. :)

I don't know, it was already growing here when we (me and boyfriend) moved into the house in '06. The tree is probably actually closer to 25-30 ft, I'm not that good at judging heights, but I think in the past few years it has grown about ten feet.

Karen