The trumpet tree is a stylish piece of jewelry that gets creative garden design going. Large, heart-shaped leaves, fragrant trumpet flowers, pods up to 35 cm long in autumn and a round-shaped crown characterize the ornamental tree. Cultivating a Catalpa is easier than its striking silhouette suggests. The following answers to frequently asked questions show you how to do it right.
How do you care for a trumpet tree?
The trumpet tree is an ornamental tree with large heart-shaped leaves, fragrant flowers and long pod fruits. It prefers sunny, wind-protected locations and nutrient-rich, deep soil. Care includes regular watering, organic fertilization and, if necessary, pruning in late winter.
Plant the trumpet tree correctly
In early spring, dig a planting pit in a sunny location that corresponds to twice the volume of the root ball. Place the excavated material in a wheelbarrow to mix in compost and horn shavings. Meanwhile, the still potted root ball is soaked in a bucket with water until no more air bubbles appear. Before you unpot and plant the young trumpet tree, drive a support post into the planting pit. When choosing the planting depth, please make sure that the end of the ball of soil is just below the garden floor. Connect the trunk and support post with a wide binding material that does not cut into the young bark. Water regularly and abundantly on the day of planting and in the following weeks without causing waterlogging.read more
Care tips
If you pay attention to the following care program, the trumpet tree will meet all of your expectations:
- Keep the soil constantly slightly moist without causing waterlogging
- An organic starting fertilizer in March/April in the form of compost and horn shavings
- To strengthen winter hardiness, water repeatedly with comfrey manure in August/September
- In late winter, thin out the crown and shorten it by up to two thirds if necessary
A young Catalpa doesn't have much to withstand the rigors of the Central European winter in the first few years of life. Therefore, protect the tree with a thick layer of leaves on the tree disc, secured with needle twigs. The young branches are given a cover made of breathable material, such as garden fleece or jute ribbons.read more
Which location is suitable?
Choose a sunny, warm and wind-protected location. These general conditions are particularly relevant for a young trumpet tree, as it only acquires the robust winter hardiness of an adult specimen over the years. In addition, the branches break when strong winds repeatedly pull on them. In addition to temperature and lighting conditions, spatial capacity plays an important role when choosing a location. Since the common trumpet tree (Catalpa bignonioides) can reach a height of 12-15 meters, the distance to buildings, neighbors and other plants must not be too short.read more
The correct planting distance
Due to its height, the trumpet tree, including its hybrids, is classified as a third-order tree. We therefore recommend the following planting distances as a safe distance from buildings:
- Common trumpet tree: 10-12 m
- Purpurea: 8-10 m
- Pulverulenta and large-crowned trumpet tree: 6-8 m
- Nana: 4-5 m
The planting distance from neighbors is regulated by law at the state level in Germany. Therefore, ask the responsible regulatory or building authority about the prescribed distance and have this information confirmed in writing to be on the safe side.
What soil does the plant need?
The heart roots find suitable conditions in fresh, moist to moderately dry soil. The soil should also be rich in nutrients, deep and humus. Avoid a location where there is a risk of waterlogging. While the trumpet tree knows how to cope with short-term drought, permanent wetness puts an end to its life in the blink of an eye.
What is the best time to plant?
In view of the sensitivity of young trumpet trees to frost, we recommend spring planting. This makes all the more sense as the tree sprouts very late anyway. If a catalpa has the entire summer and fall to root itself in the ground, it is well prepared for the first winter. From the point of view of the American immigrant, the classic autumn planting time for native trees is too short for sufficient rooting before winter.read more
When is flowering time?
From June to July, the trumpet tree puts on its distinctive flower dress. Look forward to white, trumpet-shaped flowers with purple or pink throats on panicles up to 15 cm long. Do not clean out the withered flowers, as they develop into decorative pods 30-35 cm long that remain on the tree well into the winter.read more
Cut the trumpet tree correctly
A trumpet tree develops its symmetrical crown on its own. If there is enough space available, you can give the noble tree free rein to grow. The only thing on the care plan in early spring is annual thinning so that the crown does not become bald from the inside. Aim for a pruning to limit size and volume, do it right:
- Set the date on a frost-free day in late winter
- If necessary, shorten excessively long branches by up to 75 percent
- Place the freshly sharpened scissors over a leaf node (thickening under the bark)
Use this opportunity to cut off dead branches at the base. Please make sure that the trunk bark is not injured. The same applies to branches that are directed inwards and rub against each other.read more
Watering the trumpet tree
The trumpet tree prefers a constantly slightly moist soil that dries out in the meantime. Please adjust the amount of water to the progress of growth. As long as no leaves form on the branches, the tree receives little water. A lot of moisture evaporates through the large heart leaves during the summer, so that the need for watering increases disproportionately. Therefore, check every few days with a thumb test to see whether the soil surface has dried to a depth of 3-5 cm. Apply the water slowly to the root disc to avoid puddling as a symptom of impending waterlogging.
Fertilize the trumpet tree properly
In humus-rich, nutrient-rich soil, the fertilizer requirement is at a low level. Here, organic starter fertilization with compost and horn shavings in March/April is sufficient. Please do not expose a trumpet tree to a concentrated load of mineral complex fertilizer. Slowly decomposing organic materials have a more beneficial effect on vitality, flower splendor and leaf beauty. In addition to compost and horn shavings, bark humus, leaf mold, guano granules and horse manure are possible.read more
Diseases
The furious heart leaves provide a welcome area for the ubiquitous fungal spores of mildew to spread. This is particularly true during warm, humid summer weather. If a mealy-gray patina spreads across the beautiful foliage, your immediate intervention is required. Cut off infected leaves to dispose of in household waste. Then spray the top and bottom sides of the remaining leaves repeatedly with a mix of water and fresh milk in a ratio of 9:1.read more
Wintering
It is only when it is older that a trumpet tree has robust frost hardiness. In the first 5 years we recommend the following precautions for he althy wintering:
- Cover the root disc with a high layer of leaves, straw, compost or needle twigs
- Cover the crown and trunk with breathable garden fleece
- Remove the cover immediately when it is no longer freezing
You can already influence an undamaged winter season in autumn. In August and September, spray the tree disc repeatedly with comfrey manure. It contains plenty of potassium. This nutrient strengthens the cell walls and lowers the freezing point of the cell sap.read more
Propagate trumpet tree
To grow more specimens of the trumpet tree, the following propagation methods are available:
- Cut half-woody, non-flowering head cuttings in summer to allow them to root in the pot
- Cut woody cuttings from the middle of the branches during the winter and place them in peat sand
- Sowing the (poisonous) seeds on the warm windowsill with a germination time of 30 days at 20-25 degrees Celsius
The propagation of a refined Nana ball trumpet tree, on the other hand, belongs in the hands of an experienced master gardener.read more
Is trumpet tree poisonous?
The plant sap in shoots and leaves can cause allergies when it comes into contact with the skin, which is of course only the case in very sensitive people. In contrast, the long pod fruits should be enjoyed with caution in autumn. The seeds in it can cause significant symptoms of poisoning, such as nausea, vomiting and cramps. The cigar-like capsule fruits of a trumpet tree are therefore not suitable for consumption. We therefore recommend cultivating the globe trumpet tree of the 'Nana' variety in the family garden. Since it does not flower, no poisonous fruits can form on it.read more
Trumpet tree not blooming
It takes at least 8 years for a trumpet tree to bloom for the first time. Depending on the site conditions, it can take up to 15 years for the pretty flower spikes to appear for the first time. If an older tree does not bloom, it lacks nutrients or the location does not receive enough sunlight.read more
Yellow leaves
If the leaves of individual branches take on a yellow color while the rest of the leaves remain green, verticillium wilt has struck. The wilt fungus infects the trumpet tree from the ground and clogs the ducts. The water and nutrient supply is reduced and ultimately comes to a standstill. Effective control methods have not yet been developed. Cut the tree back to he althy wood and put all the conditions to the test. With a little luck, the stressed Catalpa will recover.read more
Beautiful varieties
- Gold trumpet tree: Delights with golden yellow shoots of heart-shaped leaves and white flower spikes from June; 400-600cm
- Purpurea: A catalpa with a rounded crown and dark red leaf shoots that turn green in summer; 600-1000cm
- Pulverulenta: The innovative breeding impresses with its umbrella-shaped crown and speckled leaves; 400-500cm
- Nana: Popular globe trumpet tree whose fragrant heart leaves form a spherical crown; 350-500cm
- Large-crowned trumpet tree: A magnificent Catalpa bungei with an extra large crown and 15 cm long leaves; 500-800cm
