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The Southern catalpa (Catalpa bignonioides) belongs to Bignoniaceae (the Trumpet creeper family). It is a tall deciduous tree that is believed to be native to the southern United States, from Georgia to Mississippi. Today, it is widely naturalized in the eastern and central parts of the country. It was introduced to Japan at the end of the Meiji Era (1868-1912). It grows on damp roadsides and cultivated land, and grows to a height of about 15 m. The bark is grayish-brown with scaly creases. The leaves are ovate and opposite, with short, pointed tips. Large panicles of white to milky-white flowers appear at the ends of branches from May to June. The corolla has yellow and purple-brown spots on the throat. The fruit is a pod, 15 to 30 cm long, which ripens in fall.
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