Last summer Doug asked me up to the arboretum to look over some new trees he had planted from J. Frank Schmidt. It was a Chitalpa. But what in the world is a Chitalpa? He was excited because his was blooming and it had survived the winter. I was immediately impressed by the flowers, which appear to be a showier form of catalpa. But what is it?
The Chitalpa, officially x Chitalpa tashkentensis, is a hybrid between Genera in the Bignonioides Family of plants. This family includes things such as Catalpa, Desert Willow, Jacaranda, Trumpet Vine, and Cross Vine, all of which have large, showy, tubular flowers. The Chitalpa is a hybrid between a Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) and some species of Catalpa. It was first hybridized in Uzbekistan in the 1960s, and brought to the United States in 1977.
Selections and Cultivars
There seems to be some confusion as to which species of catalpa was used for the various hybrid cultivars which are available today. It was speculated (but not documented?!) that the original hybrids were crosses with Catalpa bignonioides, the Southern Catalpa. Those early cultivars definitely lack some cold hardiness.
Chitalpa 'Pink Dawn' has pink flowers, and was recorded to be a hybrid between Desert Willow and Yellow Catalpa (Catalpa ovata). And 'Morning Cloud' was a supposed cross between Desert Willow and Northern Catalpa (Catalpa speciosa). 'Morning Cloud' has white flowers with pink centers.
Newer cultivars have driven the market for this interesting plant. While cold hardiness may be an issue, it could behave better than the Princess Tree (Paulownia tomentosa), which has died to the ground in North Central and Northeast Kansas. Chitalpa blooms on new wood, and even if the tops died back you would still get flowers. Laura from Garden Answer has planted and raved about the Proven Winners cultivar, 'El Nino' which grows 10 to 15 feet tall by 10 feet wide with bright pink flowers.
Doug's tree from J. Frank Schmidt is a cultivar called 'Strawberry Moon' which was selected from the National Arboretum. It has pink flowers with a yellowish center and grows 40 feet tall by 30 feet wide. Both 'Strawberry Moon' & 'El Nino' are reported hardy in Zones 6a to 9a.
Pests and Disease Problems
Unfortunately, despite being a newer hybrid, the Chitalpa is still affected by many of the same pests and diseases of both Catalpa and Desert Willow. There are a variety of pests including aphids, leafhoppers, scale, spider mites, and catalpa sphinx moth. Also, Bacterial Leaf Scorch, powdery mildew, and Verticillium wilt are possible diseases which could affect them.
Conclusion
So now I know what a Chitalpa is, but bringing them to the nursery is still a problem. I have tried twice now to order Chitalpa 'Strawberry Moon' and its not been available. And 'El Nino' has proven equally tricky to find and get. Hopefully, I will have some of the Proven Winners variety in stock sometime in 2026.
Happy planting!
