Catalpa (Catalpa speciosa)

Originally native only in southwestern Indiana; moved northward due to planting.

This tree is from a mostly tropical family and produces large (nearly one inch) flowers with yellow and purple spots in early summer.  It is native to southern Indiana; when it grows in this part of the state it is planted, usually around old homesteads.  Fruits are pods up to one-foot long.  The wood is often used for
fence posts.

To learn more about Catalpa, visit its profile at the USDA Plants Database