Catalpa, commonly called catalpa or catawba, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to warm temperate and subtropical regions of North America, the Caribbean, and East Asia.
Mostly deciduous trees, they typically grow to 12–18 metres (39–59 ft) tall and 6–12 metres (20–39 ft) wide. A 10-year-old sapling will stand about 6 metres (20 ft) tall. They can be recognized by their large, heart-shaped to three-lobed leaves, showy white or yellow flowers in broad panicles, and during the autumn by their 20–50 centimetres (7.9–19.7 in) long fruits, which resemble a slender bean pod, containing numerous small flat seeds, each seed having two thin wings to aid in wind dispersal. Because of the leaves, they are sometimes confused with the tung tree (Vernicia fordii) in the southern U.S., or the invasive Paulownia tomentosa imported from China.
Due to their large leaf size, catalpas are a popular habitat for many birds, providing them good shelter from rain and wind. These trees have few limb droppage, but drop large dark-brown bean pods during late summer. The wood of catalpas is quite soft.
Catalpa may refer to:
Catalpa is Jolie Holland's debut album from 2003. The tracks were recorded in the living room of one of the band members with the intention of distributing the recordings among their friends. Inevitably, copies of the recordings were passed from person to person and demand increased for a commercial release of the album. Catalpa was initially released on the Anti Records label and distributed through CDbaby.com. In 2003, the San Francisco Chronicle chose Catalpa as one of the 10 best albums of that year.
All tracks by Jolie Holland except were noted
I wanna die, I wanna die
Down south Louisiana
And the gray evening sky
I wanna die
I don't care how, I'm getting out
Down south Louisiana
And the lonesome highway sound
Well, there's a Cajun lady
Down in New Orleans
There's a Cajun lady
And I saw her in my dream
Well, if I'd held her in my arms, girls
Oh, and if I'd held her in my arms
Our friendly love
Might have kept my heart from harm
But I'm out here on this road, girls
And I'm out here on the road
And I'm just a poor girl
And I ain't got a home
And I wanna die
I don't care how, I'm getting out
Down south Louisiana
And the lonesome highway sound
Oh, I ain't got a home, girls
And I ain't got a home
And it's through this world I ramble
And it's through this world I roam
Well, as through this world I ramble
And as through this world I roam
I'm just a poor girl
And I ain't got a home
And I wanna die, I wanna die
Down south Louisiana
And the gray evening sky
Well, I wanna die
I don't care how, I'm getting out
Down south Louisiana
And the lonesome highway sound