Indian Bean Tree (catalpa bignonioides)

• Attractive medium-sized deciduous ornamental with large heart-shaped leaves, showy white summer flowers (marked orange/purple), and long bean-like pods that persist into winter.
• Provides good shade; RHS Award of Garden Merit; supports pollinators (especially bees); architectural form suited to lawns, borders, or informal gardens.

Planting advice

• Timing: Plant while dormant, November–March, when the ground is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
• Site: Full sun in a sheltered position (strong winds shred the large leaves). Protect young trees from late spring frosts.
• Soil: Moist but well-drained, fertile soil preferred; tolerates most types including clay, chalk, loam and sand (acid to alkaline).
• Method:
  
  • Dig a hole as deep as the root system and about twice as wide; loosen the sides and base.
  • Plant at the original soil mark (root collar at ground level); do not bury deeper.
  • Backfill with soil (optionally mixed with compost), firm gently, and water thoroughly.
  • Stake if needed and apply a mulch around the base (keep clear of the trunk).
• Aftercare: Water regularly for the first 1–3 years (especially in dry spells); mulch annually in spring; light pruning only if required to shape or maintain large leaves. Once established it can be cut back strongly to create pollards.

Photo credit: Tess Mattew, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)