Phenology: catalpa

[redbird]

There's a tree on the corner of 218th Street and Park Terrace West that's looked half-dead for a long time. It's gnarled, not very tall, and looks as though it once had two trunks, one of which has been cut off near the ground.

All of a sudden, it's in bloom, and has been for the last week. By "all of a sudden," I mean that neither cattitude nor I can remember seeing it bloom before, and we've lived here since 1987. I didn't recognize the flowers, and couldn't find them in my tree identification book, but the Web came to the rescue, and then I pulled out the tree book again, looked in the index, and there it was. We appear to have a northern catalpa, Catalpa speciosa, though not the large, spreading tree that many of them are.

I do wonder whether we've somehow managed never to walk down that block during the relevant week or two of Spring, or whether this tree had been ill and has now recovered. Either way, it's very pretty, and attracting bumblebees (who also have roses and irises and lots of other flowers in the adjacent garden).

Comments

[hobbitbabe.livejournal.com]

You have lived in one place for almost 20 years? Wow. What does that feel like?

[gothgeekgirl.livejournal.com]

Very, very settled. I've lived in my condo for a bit over 21 years now (and my parents have lived in their house since 1959).

[rosefox]

Thank you for identifying it! I saw it yesterday and was very curious.

[marykaykare.livejournal.com]

OMG Catalpa trees! I haven't seen one of those in years. We used to have them around where I grew up. Thanks for reviving lovely memories.

MKK

[pameladean]

The catalpas here are blooming too, very suddenly, at least in my neighborhood. Perhaps they were waiting for the rain.

P.