Catalpa x erubescens 'Purpurea'
(Purple Hybrid Catalpa)

Family - Bignoniaceae
Category - Tree, shrub
Year of Introduction - 1886
Season of Interest - Spring, Summer, Autumn
Hardiness - H6
Height - up to 15m if left unpruned
Width - up to 15m if left unpruned
Location - The Cool Garden, The Exotic Garden

Description: Medium-sized, Deciduous tree, though often pollarded and treated as a large Shrub. Large, heart-shaped leaves are deep, aubergine purple when young and fade to dark green with age. White, bell-shaped flowers with golden and purple markings at the throat are produced in upright panicles from mid to late summer and are followed by long, thin seed pods. Catalpa x erubescens 'Purpurea' is used as a cut-back plant in the Cool Garden and Exotic Garden at Malverleys to maintain a large leaf size and control overall height.

Award of Garden Merit (AGM).

Synonym - C. bignonioides 'Purpurea'

Flower:

Upright panicles of white, bell-shaped flowers with golden and purple markings at the throat are produced in July and August and are followed by long, thin seed pods. Flowers tend not to be produced on young plants, or on specimens that are pollarded.

Flower colour: White

Flower shape: Bell-shaped flowers in panicles

Flowering time: July, August

Foliage:

Large, Cordate leaves emerge deep aubergine purple and fade to dark green with age.

Foliage Senescence: Deciduous

Foliage Shape: Cordate

Propagation:

Grafting, cuttings.

Cultivation:

Best in full sun in fertile, moisture-retentive soil. Will benefit from a sheltered position to protect the large leaves from wind damage.