[citation needed] The winter twigs of northern catalpa are like those of few other trees, having sunken leaf scars that resemble suction cups.

The flowers are 3–6 cm (1.2–2.4 in) across, trumpet shaped, white with yellow stripes and purple spots inside; they grow in panicles of 10–30.

Catalpa speciosa was originally thought to be native only to a small area of the midwestern United States near the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.

Northern catalpa has been extensively cultivated in Ohio for over 200 years, and is now naturalized in urban and rural areas.

Farmers introduced the rapidly growing northern catalpa to Ohio to produce large amounts of timber for fenceposts.

Northern catalpa rains down fragments of its long fruits and fringed seeds from winter through spring, creating a cleanup chore.

Finally, its brittle wood, coupled with tree height, makes its branches at times subject to wind or ice damage.