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Currently my only flowers...

17 years ago

My favorite tree is the Catalpa tree I have right next to my driveway here in town. It's very temperamental and every year I think it's dead because it doesn't get leaves until at least June. It blooms only occasionally, which is why I quickly took a picture. The scent is extremely "heavy" and sweet, almost overwhelming. When the flowers are gone, the tree gets long pods, like a vanilla bean pod but about 4 or 5 times as long.

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I ought to do a little research, this tree has never grown much, never gets tall. It grows weird and crooked, reminding me of a bonsai for some reason.

Annie

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Comments (12)

centralcacyclist
17 years ago
Wow! Is that a beauty! I've seen those here, HUGE leaves.
dedtired
17 years ago
Aren't they nice! I wish you could send a link to the aroma. I just love flowers. Whenever they have a wonderful scent, I always imagine myself sniffing and floating like a cartoon character. Ahhh!

Pam
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annie1992
Original Author
17 years ago
Pam, that tree is about 20 feet from the house, but you can smell it two or three houses away, the smell is everywhere. I love it, but the flowers are already dying.

Barnmom, those leaves are huge, bigger than both of my hands together. The clusters of flowers can be as big as a soccer ball, but only last a couple of days, sadly.

Annie
homesforsale
17 years ago
We have Catalpas in my town and they take my breath away.. Like Amelanchiers..Flowering Crabapples , Lilacs and Cornus Kouzas(SP?)

Lucky you.. They are gorgeous!
canarybird01
17 years ago
Oh those look beautiful Annie !

I love trees that have a wafting perfume. They look like something that would grow here.

SharonCb
bubbeskitchen
17 years ago
Wowee! Those are gorgeous! How come so short lived, I wonder. Are the seedpods used for anything besides reproducing?
annie1992
Original Author
17 years ago
I don't know why they go so quickly, but we just had a big storm, including a tornado touchdown, and all the flowers are gone. Sigh.

I don't know if the seeds can be used for anything, I've planted them to try to grow more trees but have been unsuccessful. Of course. LOL

Sharon, those do look like something that would grow in your part of the world, don't they?

Monique, I AM lucky, I inherited this tree when I bought the house and no one else in town has one. Several people would like one, which is why I've been trying to grow more. Maybe I should get Dad to do it, that'd give him something to do!

Annie
kent4489
17 years ago
Oh, very pretty!
compumom
17 years ago
When I did a search on the net to see if it would grow out here I did see a note that the seed pods were poisionous.

Here is a link that might be useful: Seeds
doucanoe
17 years ago
That is a beautiful tree! We had two Catalpa's at our old house. If I had room for one more tree here, Catalpa is what I would plant!

Linda
sheshebop
17 years ago
Annie, it is gorgeous...have you seen the Catalpa worms???

Here is a link that might be useful: catalpa worms
annie1992
Original Author
17 years ago
Nope, Sherry, no worms, just my poor little Catalpa that never has grown more than about 10 feet tall. Poor thing, at least it doesn't get worms!

Annie

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