Catalpa Tree - October 2019 Tree Inventory

Yesterday, I posted a photo of the large Oak tree that we use for our tree swing and today, I'm posting another larger tree in our yard that is pre-losing its leaves:  one of our Catalpa trees.  We have four of them and there are actually three in this photo.  The large one in the middle of course coupled with a Walnut tree on the left that has lost all of its leaves already.  But, tucked on in on either side of the Walnut tree?  A pair of small Catalpa trees:

You may or may not know Catalpa trees, as I didn't either until we moved in and inherited these.  They're a pretty unique tree because they are considered what I would call an 'All of the above' tree.  That means they're a shade tree.  And a flowering tree.  And an ornamental tree. 

They flower in the late Spring and have beans in the Fall.  And the leaves are H-U-G-E.  I like a lot about these trees, but I don't think that I've ever come across them in the nursery. They're native, so you will find them scattered across our zone including at the Morton Arboretum. 

The two smaller ones along the fenceline are trees to watch over the next few years.  They'll help create a hedge-like feel along the fence as our new neighbors move into their new house next year.