Goosefoot catalpa, also known as "double floating tree", is a rare deciduous tree of the magnolia family unique to the mainland, or one of the world's five major street trees (linden tree, horse chestnut tree, plane tree, ginkgo biloba, goosefoot catalpa), it grows fast, drought-resistant, and is highly resistant to diseases and insect pests. In the spring, the thrush flowers are large and beautiful, and the autumn leaves are golden in color, resembling a yellow coat, and are precious street trees and garden ornamental trees. In folklore, there is a saying: "Look at the tulips in spring, and look at the yellow coat in autumn". The goosefoot catalpa will attract tourists to stop and admire it all year round.
The Chinese name of the goosefoot catalpa originates from its leaf shape, but compared to the appearance of the "goose paw", the leaf shape is more like a "pony coat": the top of the leaf is flattened, like the hem of the coat; the sides of the leaf are smooth or slightly curved, like the waist of the coat; the two ends of the leaf protrude outwards, as if the two sleeves of the coat are extended, so the "goose palm tree" is also called "horse coat wood". In autumn, the leaf color becomes golden, more like a piece of yellow coat hanging on the branches, so this tree is also commonly known as "horse coat wood".
It is an ancient relict plant and known as a "living fossil", with only two remaining species after the Quaternary Ice Age: the thrush and the North American thrush. They are called living fossil plants and are one of the most precious tree species in the world. At present, its wild community is only found in the humid mountain broad-leaved forests of mainland China and northern Vietnam, and the existing resources of China's endemic tree species are very rare, and it has been listed as a second-class rare and endangered protected tree species in mainland China. The North American catalpa is found in the southeastern United States.
"Thrush" is a light-loving tree species, like warm and humid, has a certain hardiness, can tolerate low temperatures of -15 ° C, and can grow overwintering in some microclimate environments in the north; and thrush grows fast, drought-resistant, extremely resistant to pests and diseases, and has a certain resistance to sulfur dioxide, the main atmospheric pollutant. The flowers are cup-shaped, about five centimeters in diameter, and the flower covers a pale green on the outside and yellow on the inside. Every year from April to May is the flowering period of "Thrush", the pale green flowers are slightly like pale green tulips when they first open, and its English name is "Chinese Tulip Tree", which translates to "Chinese tulip tree" when it is translated Chinese.
The seeds of the "thrush" spread mainly on their own. Every year from September to October, when the autumn wind rolls up the fallen leaves, the spindle-shaped fruit will split, and the winged seeds will spin and land from the heights like bamboo dragonflies, drifting away with the wind. There is a phenomenon of "parthenogenesis". In the case of uninsemination, although the pistils can continue to develop, the seeds are easy to breed, the mature seeds are few, the germination rate is low, and the natural fruiting rate of most populations is less than 10%. "Thrush" is not only a precious street tree and garden ornamental tree species, but also a good wood for building and making furniture. Therefore, the "thrush" has been repeatedly deforested, resulting in a small population in the wild and a serious fragmentation of the distribution, and has now become an endangered tree species.
North American catalpa is one of the world's precious tree species, introduced from North America to the United Kingdom in the 17th century, its yellow flowers resemble cup-shaped tulips, so Europeans call it "tulip tree". In Europe, the North American catalpa is an excellent street tree in the city, with strong resistance to harmful gases, and is also one of the excellent tree species for industrial mining greening.
The thrush is poorly resistant to cold, and the very successful place of hybridization is that it is very cold tolerant and suitable for growing in most parts of the continent. As a result, most of the things we see in our lives are hybrid thrushes.
Compared with the parent tree species, the hybrid thrush grows faster, has strong cold tolerance, and is superior to the thrush in terms of cold resistance, disease and pest resistance, etc., and is a rare flower-viewing tree, which was once used as the designated tree species for the Beijing Olympic Games. In terms of flower type, its flowers are larger, goose-yellow, cup-shaped, and single-branched. Its protective enzyme system is good for drought resistance and cold tolerance. All these factors are conducive to the dominant growth of hybrids and the improvement of adaptability.
Rare seedlings are characterized by their rare quantity, excellent characteristics, and high economic, ecological and landscape utilization value. With the continuous improvement of the efficiency and grade of urban construction, many rare tree species have also become new protagonists of greening. At present, the green of the goosefoot tree gradually covers the canopy, showing a vibrant, as if to pour all the breath of life into the spring and summer. You may wish to slow down the pace of life and observe this rare, beautiful, "middle and middle" ancient tree species after studying and working.