Catalpa bignonioides

Southern catalpa is in the bignonia or Bignoniaceae family and is native to the southeastern United States in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi.

• Leaves are opposite (or sometimes in whorls of 3), simple, long-stalked, large and heart shaped at the base, short-pointed at the tip, occasionally lobed and 20–30 cm long and 15–20 cm broad. The foliage emerges downy and purplish-green late in spring and turns to bright green and smooth above, paler green and downy below and remains that until turning to yellow in autumn.
• Flowers are 2.5–4 cm across, very showy, trumpet shaped, white with purple streaks inside; they grow in panicles of 20-40 flowers.
• Fruit is a long, thin hanging bean pod 20–40 cm long and 8–10 mm diameter; it often stays attached to tree during winter. Pod contains numerous flat light brown seeds with two papery wings.
• Leaf scars are elliptical to round, similar to those of Paulownia tomentosa.