Common names: Catalpa speciosa, Northern Catalpa, Hardy Catalpa, cigar tree, Catawba tree, Western Catalpa, Bois Chavanon, candle tree, Indian bean, Indian cigar tree
Short Description: Catalpa is a straight-grained, coarse, soft, and lightweight wood. Its end grain is ring porous with 3 to 8 very large earlywood pores. The latewood pores are wavy and tangential with narrow-spaced rays. The entire trunk is composed nearly entirely of heartwood and has an ash-wood-like appearance.
Country of Origin: Eastern United States, naturalized throughout the United States and Canada
Color: Neutral grayish tan to richer brown heartwood tinged with lavender. Its narrow sapwood is pale gray.
Janka Scale Hardness: 550 lbf (2, 450 N)
Dried Average Weight: 29 lbs/ft³ (450 kg/m³)
Common Uses: cabinetry, fence posts, boat-building, carvings, utility wood, general construction, interior finish, picture frames
What Is Catalpa Wood?
Catalpa comes from catalpa trees scattered irregularly throughout the United States. Catalpa wood is durable and rot-resistant, ideal for general construction and turning woodwork. Its slabs are resistant to decay and hold up well even when it comes in contact with soil. It makes catalpa a premium wood choice for fences and posts.
How Dense Is Catalpa Wood
At about 0.42 specific gravity when oven-dry, catalpa wood has a moderately light density. Its slabs are highly considered for making planks in boat buildings for their stability and rot resistance.
Where Does Catalpa Come From?
Catalpa is sourced from two trees: southern catalpa (Catalpa bignonioides) and northern catalpa (Catalpa speciosa). The most common is the C. speciosa which is hardier and widely planted outside their ranges. It was naturalized throughout the United States and Canada. The tree is grown more for its ornamental value in urban landscapes and recreational garden settings.
In 1870, catalpa was mass planted in large tracts to produce railroad ties. That’s because its wood is rot-resistant and soft enough to drive spikes into the timber, unlike other hardwoods. However, the wood was too weak to support traffic, so the trees found another use as support for barbed fences.
How to Distinguish if the Timber Is Catalpa
Catalpa is often confused with oak or ash because of their similar appearance. What sets them apart is their weight. Catalpa wood is significantly lighter. Live edge catalpa wood typically has very narrow sapwood, as the entire trunk of the tree is nearly composed of heartwood. The heartwood has an almost lavender or brown streak with deep tight knots on the surface.
Is Catalpa a Good Option for Outdoor Furniture?
Catalpa is very stable and will hold its shape well. It is also resistant to rot, making it an ideal timber for many outdoor pieces of furniture.
How to Care for a Live Edge Catalpa Wood Slab
When finishing catalpa woodwork, use a sanding block instead of hand sanding. Hand sanding can cause blotches because the early wood is softer and strips more easily than heartwood. A wood conditioner can minimize this blotching before finishing it off with oil for a smooth and shimmery surface.
FAQs
Is catalpa a hardwood or softwood?
Catalpa is a hardwood with qualities similar to cedar and cypress. It is a dimensionally stable hardwood with soft,, workable timber for hand or power tools.
What to look for when buying catalpa?
If the wood is identified as catalpa, there is no doubt about its stability. When purchasing one, avoid the slabs with deep knots as the edges around them break easily.
How to store catalpa?
Although rot-resistant, catalpa still needs to be protected from elements. Coat the end-grain to prevent moisture loss, keep them in a neat pile and weigh them down before covering them.
Where to Buy Catalpa
There are still catalpa trees scattered in many states, but their wood is less popular than before. It has a limited quantity and is only sometimes available in pure stands. Local sawmills may stock on catalpa, but it is only sometimes a guarantee.
The best attempt would be in specialty dealers like Alderfer Lumber Company Inc. They are rarely available in lumber form, but you may find them as live edge catalpa wood or kiln-dried slabs.
Here in Alderfer, we keep a stockpile of specialty and exotic wood to make them available for various woodworking projects. If you can’t find what you are looking for, call us so we can check our wood inventory for you.
