Siberian Crab Apple vs Northern Catalpa (Cigar Tree)
Malus baccata
Catalpa speciosa
Siberian Crab Apple is a beautiful, cold hardy, ornamental tree. Its stunning white blossoms burst in the spring to produce deep red fruit.
If you are looking for a great landscape or shade tree, Siberian Crab Apple is a beautiful addition to any yard.
As a rootstock, it is one of the hardiest available. Just be aware that Siberian Crab Apple may be incompatible with varieties that don't have crab apple parentage.
Northern Catalpa is a striking feature tree with showy flowers, and very large leaves. Its orchid-like flowers are white with yellow and purple accents, and they have a pleasant fragrance. They bloom from late spring to early summer and can last up to two weeks, attracting hummingbirds and pollinators. The leaves are very large, ranging from 15-30 cm long, 12-20 cm wide, forming a canopy that makes it a good shade tree.
They can tolerate dry conditions as well as standing water, air pollution, and salt. These factors and its beauty contribute to its growing popularity as both a boulevard and ornamental tree in colder areas.
Northern Catalpa produces long bean-like capsules and are sometimes called the Cigar Tree in reference to this fruit.