Northern Catalpa (Cigar Tree) vs Beauty of Moscow Lilac

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.

Beauty of Moscow Lilac is a flowering shrub known for its highly fragrant, double flowers. The buds start as a pale pink and give way white blooms that have double the number of petals compared to other Lilacs. While the flowers are mostly white they can often take on a subtle pink blush.

The striking blooms, abundant flowers, and long bloom time make the Beauty of Moscow Lilac one of the top Lilac cultivars. The flowers are known for attracting hummingbirds, bees, and other pollinators to your landscape.

Compare Northern Catalpa (Cigar Tree) with

Compare Beauty of Moscow Lilac with