Chitalpa

Chitalpa
Chilopsos x Catalpa
. . . for an airy dappled shade with blooms

Common name: Chitalpa

Latin Name: Chilopsos x Catalpa

Design Tip: This elegant garden tree can provide a dappled shade canopy over a seating area in the lawn, where falling flowers will shed onto the ground in color, like floral confetti.

Form: deciduous, mid-sized tree

Size: 25 x 25', or can be boldly pruned in winter

Flowers: One-inch light pink and white trumpets are centered with purple-streaked yellow landing strips for bees and hummingbirds

Foliage: The 1"x 6" bright apple-green lance-shaped leaves have a tendency to spot and shed through summer. It is thought that the cause is unavoidably inherent. An improved soil fertility (annual manuring in winter and monthly seaweed/fish foliage sprays in the growing season), excellent drainage, and irrigating through droughts may help reduce the leaf-drop syndrome.

Grooming: While young, the lower branches to need be removed to accommodate foot traffic or living space below the canopy. Hard pruning can be applied in winter, and light pruning in the growing season.

Soil: It is tolerant of any soil except poorly drained sites, but good-cultivating practices improve its appearance.

Light Exposure: It requires full sun on all sides to maintain a symmetrical shape.

Hardiness: Zones 7-9

Snippets: The American native plants Catalpa bignoides and Chilopsis linearis were crossed to create this rugged, but garden-worthy hybrid, sometimes listed as x Chitalpa tashkentensis. There is a light fragrance to the funneled blooms that hummingbirds sup from all summer long. Its willowy limbs arch upwards to create an oval silhouette that bends safely to strong winds. It is reported that the 'Pink Dawn' cultivar produces more ruffled flowers than the 'White Cloud' variety. For all its graces, its best may well be that this sterile blooming tree produces no seeds – therefore no Chitalpa weeds in the garden beds.

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