Enjoy the big catalpa show while you can

Chariton's catalpa trees are in full bloom this week, so enjoy the show while it lasts. These flowering trees, some of them immense, are northern catalpa (or Catalpa speciosa) --- not native to southern Iowa, rather to locations farther down the mid-Mississippi valley. They are extremely hardy, however, have been planted widely and now may be found all over the eastern three-quarters of the United States. Big seed pods are the trees' only major disadvantage.

Early Chariton entrepreneur Smith H. Mallory probably is responsible for introducing the catalpa to Lucas County. He imported 30,000 young trees during 1882 and while many were planted on Brook Farm, his 1,000-acre spread just north of town, he also gave many away, initially. Later on, they were sold commercially.

Mallory, a builder of railroads, thought the trees might be a source of ties. Farmers thought the trunks of younger trees would make useful and durable fence posts. While catalpa wood is very durable, markets for it never developed and we're left to enjoy the trees' size, shape and --- during June --- the beauty of their blossoms.

During 1895, catalpas were planted on the courthouse lawn and in June of that year, Jessie (Mallory) Thayer threw a big party at the Ilion, "artistically decorated with catalpa blossoms and roses." June wedding reports suggest that catalpa blossoms often were incorporated into bridal bouquets. Rural churchyards --- like Graceland north of Lucas --- were bordered with catalpas. As late as the 1950s, seasoned catalpa fence posts were offered for sale in Chariton newspapers.

But no one got rich off of catalpas and by the 1950s, they were out of favor. Few plant catalpas these days for ornamental or other purposes --- but those that remain still bloom in June just to remind us of how beautiful they are.