50
Catalpa x erubescens 'Purpurea' blooms in upright panicles with delicate orange and purple markings. Shiny purple-black foliage emerges in the spring and gradually matures to a bright green colour. The leaves are large and showy, creating an exotic appearance. The slender seedpods that follow, dangling pendulously from the branches, add to the seasonal interest. In a warm, sheltered garden, Indian bean trees can be grown as magnificent free-standing specimen trees. Alternatively, the branches can be pollarded annually to produce a large, spectacular shrub. Height and spread as a tree: up to 15m (49?). Height and spread if pollarded: 4m (13?).