Western Mountain Ash vs Northern Catalpa (Cigar Tree)

Western Mountain Ash is a popular ornamental tree native to the western part of North America. Its attractive, white clusters of flowers bloom in early summer, making way for red, yellow or orange fruit in the fall. If the fruit doesn't catch your eye, Western Mountain Ash's autumn colours will capture your–and the birds's–attention.

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.

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