Catalpa bignonioides Tree

Catalpa bignonioides is a stunning award-winning deciduous tree, ideal to use in a lawn or wide border as a feature tree. The large, pale-green, heart-shaped leaves (up to 25cm across) are complimented by profuse quantities of showy panicles of orchid-type flowers in late summer. The fragrant flowers are mainly white with orange and purple markings on the throat and are followed by slender bean like pods (up to 40cm long) which can persist into winter.

With a spreading shape, Catalpa bignonioides reaches an estimated height and spread of 6 x 5 metres in 20 years, although can be coppiced to grow as a multi stem. Known as an Indian Bean tree, it appreciate a sunny spot and well-drained, moist soil. Young trees need protection from frosts so a sheltered position is best and will prevent the wonderful large leaves being torn. Indian bean trees cope well with pollution so are great in city gardens - there's a row of mature trees, believed to have been planted in 1857, outside the Houses of Parliament.

AKA Common Catalpa, Indian Bean Tree, Eastern Catalpa, Southern Catalpa, Cigartree, Smoking Bean Tree, Catawba

• Common name: Indian Bean tree
• Awards: RHS Award of Garden Merit
• Height and spread in 20 years: 6 x 5 metres
• Seasons of interest: Spring, Summer
• Foliage: Large green leaves through spring and summer that fall in autumn
• Flowers: White flowers with orange and purple tints in summer
• Soil: Suited to most, but prefers moist yet well-drained soils

Planting Advice for Catalpa bignonioides Trees

Our pot grown Indian Bean trees can be planted at any time of the year. Start by removing all weeds and grass within a metre of your intended planting hole. Dig a square hole as deep as your root mass and approximately 2x as wide. To help your tree establish more effectively, especially if you have poor soil, we advise sprinkling root grow in the hole.

Take the pot off and gently loosen the roots, then place into the planting hole. Mix 50% of the original soil with 50% compost, then fill in the hole and firm around gently, making sure not to bank the soil up around the collar of the tree. We recommend using a stake and tie kit and, if your area is prone to rabbits, a rabbit guard too. For further information, visit our help and advice section.

Aftercare of Catalpa bignonioides Trees

If you’re planting in spring, summer or dry weather, water well and regularly for the first few months. Make sure to keep an eye on young Indian Bean trees and increase watering if there are extended periods of hot or dry weather. If you’re planting in autumn, you may only need to water your tree a little. We stock a range of irrigation kits, suitable for a variety of planting schemes.

Once planted, it is important to keep the area free of competing weeds and grass for the first couple of growing seasons.

Pruning Advice for Catalpa bignonioides Trees

Indian Bean trees do not require too much regular pruning. Removing any weak or wayward branches will help to tidy up the frame, whilst pruning lower branches will aid in raising the canopy. Although it is not necessary, Indian bean trees take well to hard pruning. If you wish to, you can hard prune in autumn to winter which will encourage fresh, fast growth in spring. This is great if you inherit an established catalpa tree that has not been well looked after.

Delivery Costs

1 small tree (most under 1.5 metres in height) : £9.95 + vat

1 medium tree (most 1.5-2 metres in height) or 2-4 small trees: £11.95 + vat

2+ medium trees or 5+ small trees: £14.95 + vat

1-4 trees delivered by pallet to kerbside (inc. mature Japanese Maples): 24.95 + vat

Mature trees, pleached trees or orders too large for pallet: Cost is calculated in the checkout process and varies by postcode not quantity. Starts from £48 + vat.

The above prices exclude the Scottish Highlands, where delivery starts from £24.95 + vat and is calculated in the checkout process. Please note, we are unable to deliver outside of Mainland UK.

Delivery Timescales

All trees are carefully packed by our experienced team and most are delivered within 3 weeks of placing the order, unless stated otherwise. There's no need to be in to receive your order and you can request where it is left via the checkout.

For pleached and mature trees (trees over 2.5m in height), we group orders together by geographic area for specialist delivery - we will contact these customers about the delivery date.

Trees on pre-order are still growing and an estimate of when they will be ready is on the product/basket page. Orders are despatched once all trees are ready.

Gift trees and those required by a specific date can be accommodated with pleasure, although we accept no legal responsibility for late deliveries.

To collect trees, please book an appointment. Delivery charges will be refunded.

The product table at the bottom of the page gives the forms and sizes available for this variety. Please note, photos are a guideline as all plants are unique. Below are definitions of terms:

Supplied Size: Height measured from the top of the pot.

Single Stem / Pruned and shaped: Classic shaped tree with a single stem that has had pruning to help create a beautiful, natural shape.

Top grafted: A height noted next to this form refers to the length of clear stem, which will not grow taller. Only the head of branches will develop. Top grafted trees do not require complicated pruning and are ideal for small spaces.

Feathered: A feathered tree has branches from the bottom of the trunk all the way up. These branches can be removed if a clear stem is required.

Multi Stem: A multi stem tree has two or more stems arising from or near ground level, growing from one root system.

Bush: A plant with many stems low down, rather than one clear stem.

Clump: Several plants in one pot that can give the appearance of a multi stemmed and very bushy tree.

Climber: A plant that is a natural climber and will be delivered usually running up a bamboo cane, ready to position in the garden.

Standard Tree: A more mature tree with an upright clear stem of approximately 1.8m-2.0m (measured from the soil to the lowest branches of the crown). Standards are available in different forms relating to their girth size (circumference of the stem measured 1m above soil level), not height:

Standard  either 6-10cm or 8-10cm girth, approximately 2.5-3.0m in height
Premium Standard  10-12cm girth, approximately 3.0-3.5m in height
Heavy Standard  12-14cm girth, approximately 3.5-4.5m in height
Extra Heavy Standard 14-16cm girth approximately 4.0-6m in height