Indian Bean Tree

The last school at which I taught had, in its grounds, a very large Indian Bean Tree, Catalpa bignonioides. In July it bore masses of its lovely flowers - cream, with yellow and purple markings in the throat. One day a child drew my attention to dozens (maybe hundreds) of honey bees struggling on the ground beneath the tree. They appeared to be intoxicated; drunk on the possibly fermented nectar from the flowers. The phenomenon of bees intoxicated by fermented nectar is well-documented from hundreds of such incidents.

Catalpa bignonioides has sumptuous flowers

I recalled this incident yesterday when I saw one of these trees in a garden near to Stefen Hill Pocket Park. Only having an inadequate little camera with me, and unable to get very near I took a picture, unsatisfactory but just able to show the hanging pods which give the tree its name.

The thin, pencil-like fruits are distinctive. Near Stefen Hill Pocket Park,

Daventry. 20 August, 2020

It is a native of the southern U.S.A. and occurs on Florida and adjacent states, so the 'Indians' of the common name refers to the indigenous people of the region, not to India. The native people of the area were Cherokees, so Cherokee Bean Tree would be a more appropriate name.

I have examine the pods of this species in many places over the years but have yet to find a properly-formed seed, so the species may be self-sterile. Reaching up to 60 metres in height it is too big for the average suburban garden but for those able to do so it is tempting to grow a specimen.

It is a member of the Bignoniaceae, a very important family that includes the lovely Jacaranda Tree, Jacaranda mimosaefolia and the Sausage Tree, Kigelia africana, whose extraordinary fruits 'are indeed like big fat salamis hanging from the rafters of some Italian kitchen' (Tudge, 2006). They make the fruits of the Indian Bean Tree look positively emaciated.

The Sausage Tree, Kigelia africana occurs through much of tropical Africa.

Back to Catalpa. There are about eight species found across East Asia, North America and the West Indies yet C. bignonioides seems to be the only species much seen in Britain. This is a surprise, for others in the genus, such as C. bungei, also seem very fine - and hardy too.

Catalpa bungei, a native of northern China.

British gardeners are a conservative lot.

Reference

Tudge, Colin 2006 The Secret Life of Trees  Penguin Books