Anna Christian, an extern with the City of Des Moines Forestry Division, featured a large catalpa at Woodland Cemetery as Des Moines' "Tree of the Month" for August, highlighting the tree's distinctive foliage, flowers and role for wildlife.

The catalpa is known for its very large green leaves and long seed pods that "can grow to be about 18 inches long," Christian said. She described the spring flowers as white with possible purple markings and said the leaves turn a "dull yellow" before dropping in the fall. Christian also noted that catalpa trees are used for shade and that mature trees "grow to be about 40 to 70 feet tall and can put on 2 to 4 feet of growth each year."

Christian described the tree as habitat for animals: "The tree is a fantastic home for wildlife. Squirrels like to run around in it. If there are cavities in the tree, raccoons can find a home and then of course birds like to build their shelter in the tree as well." She added that the catalpa's flowers are "a great source for pollinators in the spring."

For people who like the catalpa but want a smaller option, Christian recommended a related hybrid: "If you think that you like the catalpa tree but you might not want something quite as big, you can look at the smaller cousin hybrid tree of the purple catalpa as well."

Christian invited residents to view the tree in person: "If you would like to enjoy this specific tree, you can stop on at the west side of the woodland Cemetery. Thank you for joining us. We'll see you in September for the next edition of tree of the month."