Identifying Catalpa Seeds: What They Look Like Inside the Pod

Catalpa pods are full of silky, feather-like fibers—but the actual seeds are easy to miss. Here's what to look for.

Seed Appearance

• Flat, paper-thin, roughly ½–¾ inch long × ¼ inch wide.
• Each seed has a prominent, translucent wing on one end (for wind dispersal).
• Color: light to medium brown when mature.
• Embedded in the cottony fluff—pull fibers apart to reveal them.

Visual References

• USDA Forest Service: Catalpa bignonioides seed
• Oregon State: seed close-up

Collection & Sowing

1. Collect pods in fall when brown and splitting.
2. Dry 1–2 weeks in paper bag; shake to release seeds.
3. No stratification needed. Sow fresh in fall or spring, ¼ inch deep.
4. Germination in 2–3 weeks at 70°F.

Those "feathers" are just packaging. The seeds are the flat, winged slivers hidden inside.