Leaves: Whorled, simple; blades ovate, long-pointed at the tip, heart-shaped at the base, up to 1 foot long and about ⅔ as broad, smooth along the edges, dark green and smooth or sparsely hairy on the upper surface, soft hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks stout, up to 6 inches long.
Flowers: Large, showy, several in an elongated cluster, appearing in May and June, the clusters up to six inches long, each flower up to 2½ inches long, the petals white and lined with purple.
Fruit: Elongated capsules up to 1½ feet long and ¾ inch thick, brown, splitting into 2 parts to reveal several winged, hairy seeds about 1 inch long.
Wood: Light in weight, soft, coarse-grained, pale brown.
Uses: Fence posts, interior finishing, railroad ties.
Habitat: Low woods; often planted in a variety of habitats.
Range: Southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and southern Missouri, south to Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee; commonly planted elsewhere.
Distinguishing Features: The two Catalpas in Illinois are hard to tell apart. This one usually has deeply furrowed bark, shorter clusters of flowers, petals merely lined with purple rather than spotted, and leaves which are not unpleasantly scented when crushed.
