Who knew! The tree that bears the world’s largest green beans also has some really pretty flowers.
Obviously they’re not green beans, but the Northern catalpa tree does grow seed-filled pods up to a foot long that really do look like beans (although apparently in some places they’re called cigar trees because of the pods). But that’s only after their showy white flowers have had their season, which is about to wrap up now.
Though picky, once Northern catalpa take root, they're very hardy — like this one who grows in Emma's pavement driveway. (Emma Arnold / City Cast Boise)
For a bit longer, though, you can see Northern catalpas covered in blossoms. As their name suggests, most of their relatives are tropical or subtropical plants, which is why you only find them in select U.S. places, although some have been found as far north as Alaska.
The trees themselves can reach 90 feet or taller, with dark green, heart-shaped leaves. When they’re blooming, they’re one of my favorites: elegant, a little whimsical, and somehow they surprise me every spring and summer.
What are your favorite flowers or other plants blooming right now? Send me your recommendations and where to find them.
