I agree the Catalpa tree is a beautiful tree, from the flowers in spring with their aroma to the shade they provide. The aroma is right up there with honeysuckle and roses.

I would not touch the sapling for a couple of years. One of the branches from the Y will become the primary tree, but the tree needs to have time to figure that out.

We have a Nuttal Oak and I was concerned in the first couple of years we had it as it seemed to be developing a double branch. After a time the tree selects which branch is gone to be the main one and it grows and repeats the process. The tree is a nice straight tree today.

every leaf is an energy making machine.. removing half of them is not advised ...

what you might do.. is chose one.. and shorten it.. so the other takes dominance .... and becomes the leader.. and then in a few years ... remove the other ... if you wish ...

with trees.. we talk in tree time... usually counted in decades .. dont be in too much of a hurry with anything to do with babe trees ... there is always next year ..

also.. if you were to remove one now.. your tree would bend over due to you removing the balance ... because the trunk will not be strong enough ... so grow the trunk.. before you do much of anything ...

also.. just a thought.. if you neighbors have this many seedlings around... just be careful to add more of the aggressive seeding trees to your area ... there is a limit to love.. lol ... in tree time.. you might be cursing all the seedlings in your own yard.. but that is tree time.. a decade at least ...

but.. on the smaller ones.. you could start training those.. if need be .... to create a single trunk tree.. and in case this one just goes bad... you will have a replacement ready ...

ken

krnuttle, ken, bengz -- thank you all. Considering your advice, I'll give the sapling at least a year or two before trimming any of its limbs. Ultimately I'd like to have it be a single trunk for the first 6 or 8 feet, but we'll get there in "tree time" ... not hasty. I have the seedlings in a side bed in the garden. By the end of next summer I should know if I need to keep one in reserve, and can offer the others on the local plant exchange site.

Ken, these trees are only moderate seeders, compared to all the local maples, cedars, and walnuts. So it should be okay in that respect. If not, well, free trees!

Here's my catalpa -- purposely allowed it to fork low. Most every planted tree on my lot is single trunked, so let this go for interest & something different. Also seen large catalpas w/low, wide forks & thought them handsome:

thanks for the pic! proof that the sapling could work "as is" -- which my DH likes. We'll see as time goes on.... :-)