Latin Name: Catalpa Speciosa Warder

A short-trunked, broad-crowned tree, grows to 50 feet high. Native to southern states, now grows in the Northeast due to planting. Has large flowers and pods.

You can find these trees in many back yards in N.H. Planted as quick growing shade trees, they quickly grow into a huge nuisance because of the large pods they drop. Tree surgeons will give this wood away because it does not make good firewood. You can find it at local sawmills, but not usually at larger hardwood retailers. This wood is great for carving and turning. It has a very dramatic and wild grain pattern when flat sawn. More linear and pleasing when quarter sawn. Color is from a pale green to a light to medium brown. The color differences are in the growth rings, early to late, which can be very wide. The wood can almost look iridescent as it changes colors when viewed from different angles. It also bleaches well. Due to its porosity and softness the bleach goes deep so you can sand the raised grain and still maintain the lighter "Ginger Ale" tone. This description sounds so good, Catalpa is back on top of my list of woods for a future spec piece of work.

Wayne Marcoux