How to prune catalpa bignonioides

Late winter to early spring before new growth begins. For pollarding: cut all previous year's stems back to the pollard head (the main framework of knuckles) using a pruning saw. For unpollarded specimens, remove dead, crossing, or damaged branches back to the branch collar. Do not leave stubs.

Annually if pollarding; otherwise every 2–3 years to remove dead wood. Catalpa bignonioides responds very well to pruning and is often hard-pruned (pollarded) to control its size and produce the large ornamental leaves it's grown for. Left unpruned it becomes a broad spreading tree. Annual pollarding in late winter keeps it compact and encourages vigorous, large-leaved new growth in gardens with limited space.

For pollarding: cut all previous year's stems back to the pollard head (the main framework of knuckles) using a pruning saw. For unpollarded specimens, remove dead, crossing, or damaged branches back to the branch collar. Do not leave stubs.