As a stylish piece of jewellery, the trumpet tree gets creative garden design going. Large, heart-shaped leaves, fragrant trumpet flowers, pods up to 35 cm long in autumn and a round crown characterize the ornamental tree. Cultivating a Catalpa is easier than the striking silhouette would suggest. The following answers to frequently asked questions show you how to do it right.

In summer, the trumpet tree wraps itself in a sea of white blossoms

Plant trumpet tree properly

In early spring, dig a pit in a sunny spot that is twice the volume of the root ball. Put the excavation in a wheelbarrow to mix in compost and horn shavings (€32.93). Meanwhile, the still potted root ball is soaked in a bucket of water until no more air bubbles rise. Before you pot and plant the young trumpet tree, drive a support stake into the planting pit. When choosing the planting depth, please make sure that the end of the soil ball is just below the garden soil. Connect the trunk and support stake with a wide binding material that does not cut into the young bark. Water regularly and plentifully on the day of planting and in the following weeks without causing waterlogging.
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care tips

If you pay attention to the following care program, the trumpet tree will meet all expectations:

  • Keep the soil constantly slightly moist without waterlogging
  • An organic starter fertilization in March/April in the form of compost and horn shavings
  • Water repeatedly with comfrey liquid manure in August/September to increase winter hardiness
  • Thin out the crown in late winter and shorten it by up to two thirds if necessary

In the first few years of life, a young Catalpa does not have much to counteract the hardships of the Central European winter. Therefore protect the wood with a thick layer of leaves on the tree disc, fixed with needle brushwood. The young branches are wrapped in breathable material such as garden fleece or jute ribbons.
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Which location is suitable?

Choose a sunny, warm and sheltered location. These framework conditions are particularly relevant for a young trumpet tree, since it only has the robust winter hardiness of an adult specimen over the years. In addition, the branches break when strong winds repeatedly tug at them. In addition to the temperature and light conditions, the spatial capacity plays an important role in the choice of 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 small.
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The right planting distance

Due to its growth 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 to the neighbor 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?

Heart roots find suitable conditions in fresh, moist to moderately dry soil. The soil should also be rich in nutrients, deep and humic. Avoid a location with a risk of waterlogging. While the trumpet tree knows how to come to terms with short-term drought, permanent wetness puts an end to its life in no time at all.

What is the best planting time?

In view of the frost sensitivity of young trumpet trees, we recommend spring planting. This makes all the more sense as the tree sprout very late anyway. If a Catalpa has the whole 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 and shrubs is too short for adequate rooting before winter.
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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 a purple or pink colored throat on panicles up to 15 cm long. Do not trim the withered flowers, as they develop into decorative pods that are 30-35 cm long and stay on the tree well into winter.
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Prune trumpet tree properly

A trumpet tree develops its symmetrical crown on its own. If there is enough space, you can let the noble tree grow freely. The only thing on the care plan is annual thinning out in early spring so that the crown does not bare from the inside. If you're aiming for a pruning to limit size and volume, do it right:

  • Set a date on a frost-free day in late winter
  • If necessary, shorten overly long branches by up to 75 percent
  • Place the freshly sharpened scissors over a leaf knot (thickening under the bark)

Take this opportunity to cut off dead branches at the base. Please make sure that the trunk bark is not damaged. The same applies to branches pointing inwards and rubbing against each other.
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Water the trumpet tree

The trumpet tree prefers a constantly slightly moist soil that dries up 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 whether the soil surface has dried 3-5 cm deep. Pour the water slowly onto the root disc to avoid puddles forming as a symptom of impending waterlogging.

Fertilize trumpet tree properly

Fertilizer requirements are low in humus-rich, nutrient-rich soil. An organic starter fertilization with compost and horn shavings (32.93€) in March/April is sufficient here. Please do not expose a trumpet tree to the concentrated load of a mineral compound fertilizer. Slowly decomposing organic materials have a more favorable effect on vitality, blooming splendor and the beauty of the leaves. In addition to compost and horn shavings, bark humus, leaf soil, guano granules and horse manure can be used.
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Diseases

The furious heart leaves offer the ubiquitous fungal spores of powdery mildew a welcome spread surface. This is especially true during warm, humid summer weather. If a mealy-grey patina develops on the beautiful foliage, your immediate intervention is required. Cut off infected leaves to dispose of with household waste. Then spray the top and bottom of the remaining foliage repeatedly with a 9:1 mix of water and fresh milk.
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hibernate

Only at an advanced age does a trumpet tree have a robust frost hardiness. In the first 5 years we recommend the following precautions for a healthy winter:

  • Cover the root disc with a high layer of leaves, straw, compost or pine twigs
  • Cover the crown and trunk with breathable garden fleece
  • Remove the cover as soon as it stops freezing

Already in autumn you can influence an undamaged winter time. In August and September, shower the tree grate repeatedly with comfrey manure. It contains plenty of potassium. This nutrient strengthens cell walls and lowers the freezing point of cell sap.
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Propagating trumpet tree

To grow more specimens of the trumpet tree, you can use the following propagation methods:

  • Cut semi-lignified, non-flowering top cuttings in summer to allow them to root in the pot
  • During the winter, cut woody sticks out of the middle of the twigs and plant them in peat sand
  • Sow the (poisonous) seeds on a warm windowsill with a germination time of 30 days at 20-25 degrees Celsius

The propagation of a grafted Nana ball trumpet tree, on the other hand, belongs in the hands of an experienced master gardener.
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Is trumpet tree poisonous?

The plant sap in shoots and leaves can trigger allergies when they come into contact with the skin, which of course only happens in very sensitive people. In contrast, the long pods in autumn should be enjoyed with caution. The seeds it contains can cause serious symptoms of poisoning, such as nausea, vomiting and cramps. The cigar-like capsule fruits of a trumpet tree are therefore not suitable for consumption. In family gardens, we therefore recommend cultivating the 'Nana' variety trumpet tree. Since this does not bloom, no poisonous fruits can form on it.
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Trumpet tree does not bloom

A trumpet tree takes at least 8 years to flower for the first time. Depending on the site conditions, it can take up to 15 years for the pretty panicles of flowers to appear for the first time. If an older tree isn't flowering, it's either lacking nutrients or the location isn't getting enough sunlight.
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Yellow leaves

If the leaves of individual branches turn yellow while the rest of the foliage remains green, Verticillium wilt has struck. The wilt fungus infects the trumpet tree from the ground up and clogs the pathways. 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 into healthy wood and put all the general conditions to the test. With a bit of luck, the stressed Catalpa will recover.
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Beautiful varieties

  • Gold trumpet tree: Impresses with golden-yellow shoots of heart-shaped leaves and white panicles of flowers 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 breed impresses with an umbrella-shaped crown and speckled leaves; 400-500cm
  • Nana: Popular ball 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

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Trees