{"product_id":"southern-catalpa-catalpa-bignonioides","title":"Southern Catalpa (Catalpa bignonioides) — Native Louisiana Heritage Shade Tree","description":"\u003ch2\u003eSouthern Catalpa \u003cem\u003e(Catalpa bignonioides)\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eEvery old Louisiana homestead had one. Southern Catalpa — the worm tree, the shade tree, the fishing tree — is one of the most distinctive and beloved native trees of the rural South: fast-growing, wide-spreading, with enormous heart-shaped leaves that cast deep shade, spectacular white orchid-like flower clusters in late spring, and long bean-like seed pods that rattle through winter. Louisiana anglers have planted it for generations to harvest the catalpa sphinx caterpillars — the finest freshwater fishing bait in the South. A tree of deep heritage, quiet medicine, and extraordinary generosity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGrown and shipped from Big Mamou Enterprises — Bayou Self, Lake Charles, Louisiana.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBotanical Profile\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBotanical Name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Catalpa bignonioides\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFamily:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bignoniaceae (Trumpet Creeper family)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNative Range:\u003c\/strong\u003e Southeastern United States from Georgia to Mississippi; naturalized throughout Louisiana in bottomland forests, stream banks, and rural homesteads\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUSDA Hardiness Zones:\u003c\/strong\u003e 5–9\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMature Size:\u003c\/strong\u003e 25–40 feet tall and wide\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Time:\u003c\/strong\u003e May–June; large white orchid-like flower clusters\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSun:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun to part shade\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e Moist to wet; tolerates clay, periodic flooding, and poor soils; adaptable and fast-growing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eEcological \u0026amp; Cultural Role\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eSouthern Catalpa is the exclusive host plant of the Catalpa Sphinx moth — whose larvae, the famous “catalpa worms,” are one of the most prized freshwater fishing baits in the South. Flowers are visited by hummingbirds, native bees, and butterflies. Provides large-canopy shade and nesting habitat for forest birds. A living landmark of the Louisiana rural landscape.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eCajun Heritage \u0026amp; Traditional Medicine\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eKnown in Cajun tradition as \u003cem\u003ecatalpa\u003c\/em\u003e — the name held across languages without translation — and by some families as \u003cem\u003el’arbre à vers\u003c\/em\u003e — the worm tree — for the sphinx caterpillars that make the finest fishing bait in the South. In the traiteur tradition, bark tea was used as a mild sedative and antispasmodic for nervous conditions, anxiety, and sleeplessness. Seed pod tea was used for asthma and bronchial spasms — with genuine bronchodilating compounds that modern research has begun to confirm. Crushed leaves were applied as a poultice for wounds and skin irritations. It was never a dramatic medicine. It was a quiet one, for quiet suffering.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eIn the Cajun Heritage Garden\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePart of the \u003cem\u003eHeritage Garden\u003c\/em\u003e collection at Big Mamou Enterprises. Plant in full sun to part shade in almost any soil. Fast-growing — one of the quickest native shade trees available. Large heart-shaped leaves provide deep shade; long seed pods persist through winter. Plant it where you want shade quickly and a piece of Louisiana heritage in your yard for generations.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Big Mamou Enterprises","offers":[{"title":"4\"\/small","offer_id":49868604473584,"sku":null,"price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1 gal\/med","offer_id":49868604506352,"sku":null,"price":34.29,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"3 gal\/large","offer_id":49868604539120,"sku":null,"price":58.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0824\/7171\/5056\/files\/southern-catalpa-catalpa-bignonioides.png?v=1779903863","url":"https:\/\/realtimecajun.com\/products\/southern-catalpa-catalpa-bignonioides","provider":"Big Mamou Enterprises","version":"1.0","type":"link"}