Catalpa bignonioides ‘Aurea’

‘Aurea’ is the golden form of the Indian bean tree, with huge heart-shaped leaves that emerge bright yellow in spring and hold a warm golden-green tone through summer. Mature trees carry panicles of bell-shaped white flowers with yellow and purple markings in midsummer, followed by long bean-like seed pods. Holds an RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Reaches around 10 to 12m tall with a spreading rounded crown. Often grown as a coppiced specimen, hard-pruned each spring to encourage huge bold leaves on fresh growth.

Plant in fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full sun, sheltered from strong winds. Late to come into leaf in spring, so don’t panic if neighbours are leafy first.

A cracking specimen tree for a big garden, a lawn, or a coppiced bold-foliage shrub in a large border.