Northern Catalpa is a bold native tree growing 40–70 feet tall with enormous heart-shaped leaves, large clusters of showy white orchid-like flowers in early summer, and long, bean-like pods up to 20 inches that persist into winter. Native to a small area of the central Midwest, it has been widely planted across eastern North America. Catalpa is the exclusive host plant for the Catalpa Sphinx Moth caterpillar, which is prized as fishing bait. The catalpa hawk moth caterpillars can completely defoliate a tree, which then re-leafs.
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