Stenton

Tree Location Map:

The Catalpa looks like a tree you might see in a central American rainforest. Its cascading, heart-shaped leaves are big – up to a foot long, not including their stems. Its pyramidal flower clusters are large, lush, and showy, with tiers of trumpet shaped, frilly white blossoms sporting purple stripes, dots, and bright yellow blotches. The catalpa’s fruits are also outsized and tropical looking, resembling giant string beans stretched to many times their normal length. 

The Catalpa is a native tree. It is widely planted in cities because of its rapid growth and tolerance of urban conditions. Early in the last century it was popular as a lumber source and was commonly planted in the Midwest as an ornamental.  

This northern catalpa is the oldest tree on Stenton’s property. It is estimated to have begun its life around 1860 – possibly as a naturally seeded tree in an area that was maintained as a meadow at that time. In the historic 1911 photo of the Colonial Revival Garden, you can see the full-grown Catalpa tree in the background.