BULLETIN NO, 8. 
The Western, or, as it is sometimes called, the Hardy Catalpa, Catalpa 
speciosa, is in flower this week. The true characters of this tree were 
overlooked by botanists until about thirty years ago when the remark- 
able durability of its wood first called much attention to it. It is a native 
of the valley of the Mississippi where on the rich, moist and often inun- 
dated bottom-lands of streams it sometimes attains the height of one hun- 
dred feet. It differs from the other American species, Catalpa bignon- 
ioides, which will not be in flower for two or three weeks, by the longer 
points of the leaves, by the larger flowers only slightly spotted on the 
inner side of the corolla and borne in short open few-flowered clusters, 
and by the stouter pods. It is a much hardier tree than the more south- 
ern species and has a more erect habit, and it grows more rapidly; in- 
deed it often grows too rapidly and then sometimes suffers in cold win- 
ters from splits in the trunk. At one time much was expected of this 
tree and the agricultural and horticultural journals were filled with 
descriptions of its many virtues. All the Catalpas have only a thin layer 
of sapwood, and the whole trunk is therefore almost entirely composed 
of heartwood; this resists decay for a long time, and there are well 
authenticated records of Catalpa fence-posts having remained in the 
ground for half a century without deterioration. For the production of 
fence-posts, telegraph and other poles, no other tree gives a better yield 
if it is planted in rich soil. Catalpa wood is very soft, and the claims 
that this tree would supply the railroads with the best possible ties have 
not been fulfilled for the wood is too soft to resist the cutting of the rails. 
If as a timber tree the Western Catalpa is less valuable than was at one 
time supposed, it is the handsomest of all the Catalpas which have flow- 
ered in the United States and a fast-growing, desirable, ornamental tree. 
Catalpa ovata (sometimes called Catalpa Kaempferi), a native of central 
and western China, although first brought to this country from Japan 
where it has been cultivated for more than two centuries, is not yet in 
flower. This is a small tree which in July produces in great profusion its 
small light yellow flowers which are succeeded by slender pods. It is 
hardier than either of the American species but very inferior to them as 
an ornamental tree. A hybrid of this tree and one of the American 
species, Catalpa Teasii, is a valuable ornamental tree. It appeared sev- 
eral years in the nursery of J. C. Teas in Indiana, and is a perfectly 
hardy and fast-growing tree with larger leaves than either of its parents 
and enormous flower-clusters containing from two hundred to three hun- 
dred flowers. The corolla is slightly tinged with yellow and is marked 
by broad purple stripes. This hybrid will not be in flower until next 
month. Catalpa Bungei is established in the Arboretum where it ap- 
pears perfectly hardy. This small tree is a native of northern China 
where it is often planted in temple gardens and was introduced by the 
Arboretum into the United States and Europe a few years ago. It has 
very dark green leaves and small yellow flowers in small clusters and, 
although it has not yet flowered here or in Europe, it will probably be of 
slight value as an ornamental tree. There is another plant usually called 
Catalpa Bungei. This is a dwarf, round-headed bush which is often 
planted in formal gardens where it is frequently seen grafted on the tall 
naked stems of one of the tree species. This dwarf, which never flow- 
ers, is really a form of Catalpa bignonioides and how it got the name of 
Catalpa Bungei is a mystery which will probably never be cleared up. 
