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Growth Facts
- Hardiness Zone: 5-8
- Spacing: 25-30'
- Exposure: Full Sun
- Deer Resistant: Yes
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Purpleleaf Catalpa
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Purpleleaf Catalpa is a bold and bodacious ornamental tree that will turn your backyard into a tropical getaway. Its heart-shaped leaves, which can span an amazing 10 to 12 inches in length and emerge a shimmering passion-fruit-purple in spring, are unlike anything you’ve ever seen in a hardy tree. The leaves eventually fade to green, but giant, colorful foliage isn’t the only thing that makes this cold-hardy tree seem tropical. In early summer, big clusters of white, orchid-like flowers hold court, drawing in hummingbirds from near and far. Pour yourself a piña colada, kick back, and enjoy the show!
Growth Facts
- Hardiness Zone: 5-8
- Spacing: 25-30'
- Exposure: Full Sun
- Deer Resistant: Yes
- Show more ›
Recommended by Our Growers
The Story
Two Catalpas have had a long history in American life—a species native to the Midwest and another to the Deep South. The purpleleaf version we offer is a hybrid between the Southerner and a third species, the Chinese Catalpa. Those two species were first hybridized in France in 1866. The purpleleaf selection may have originated (no one is sure) in the nursery of Thomas Meehan of Germantown, Pennsylvania sometime before 1886. No doubt it was a hot item. It was the Victorian Age, and bold, tropical-looking plants were all the rage.
The Details
Young chocolate purple leaves turn to dark green as they age. Masses of creamy white flowers with yellow and brown flecks appear in late summer followed by seed pods in fall. Quite a unique tree to grab some attention for your yard!
How to Grow
Wild Catalpas have gotten along fine without human intervention for ages. They pop up even in the most inhospitable vacant lots in the heart of the city. This one doesn’t need to be coddled, either. It can handle intense heat, dry soil, and periodic flooding. Despite its Southern heritage, it’s surprisingly cold-hardy, too. It should survive in all of Massachusetts and in coastal areas further north as well. This is a fast growing tree that flowers at a young age. It gets the show on the road!
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