More or less. Especially in unkempt areas. Common along roads, train tracks and bordering commercial properties. The one in the OP has to be the straightest and tallest I've ever seen.
There was a lot of barkless limb wood littering the area and I believe it was catalpa. Like I stated in a prior post the grain and texture remind me of sassafras and we know how rot resistant that is. Has a peculiar but pleasant spicy aroma when fresh cut. Ill have to find a log for the mill. Has anyone ever milled catalpa? CAlling Sawdust Man
Must be the northern catalpa variety. The bark is a lot rougher than the southern type we have. Do the trees there get the worms on them in the summer? They make excellent fish bait. There are some huge ones near Scotty Overkill house in PA
Huh, didn't know that. My next door neighbor cut one down a few years back and the trunk was so hollow I could have stood up in it!
We have one as a yard tree, they don’t grow here besides being planted in yards or cemetery boarders. When we moved here 7 yrs ago I saw the limb pile of catalpa limbs in the woods, previous owner piled them separate from everything else as they didn’t rot. Pile is still there, full of chipmunks, and showing very little to no signs of rot. Ours was pruned awhile ago and I split the 12” branch for firewood. Burned quickly like poplar, as well. Our arborist mentioned sawing it into boards was like opening chocolate ice cream container for the first time, color wise. Our catalpa is old, we have a copy of a photo from 1904 and it was 8’-12’ tall then. It’s got some issues with heart rot, and a gray squirrel moved into it last fall. The trunk split some over the winter with the -10 temps, and that’s probably its final straw as it was planted 10’ from the house, and I’d rather have the 207 yr old house than the tree. The wife and I have discussed getting it sawn to make a bench out of, and to have the wood for an undecided inside project as well.
Catalpa round from September 2020 that's been sitting at our house with the intent of using it as a Swedish candle. Bark mostly gone. Most of the wood seems solid. Being hollow to begin with its hard to guage its rot resistance, but most other woods would've been punk after nearly five years. Note to self. Scrounge nice catalpa log to mill.
