Indian bean tree vs Tulip tree

Indian bean tree and Tulip tree are often considered for the same spot in the garden (shade, specimen, flowers, pollinator friendly). The data below shows where they differ: size, hardiness, care, toxicity and price.

Indian bean tree

Catalpa bignonioides 6 m × 5 m after 10 years

A fast-growing tree with a wide, open crown, huge heart-shaped leaves, fragrant white flowers in upright panicles in early summer and long, cigar-like…

Large tree

Full sun

Part shade

Tulip tree

Liriodendron tulipifera 8 m × 6 m after 10 years

A fast-growing, straight-trunked large park tree with distinctive four-lobed leaves that look cut off at the tip and turn golden yellow in autumn. Its…

Large tree

Full sun

Part shade

from about PLN 20

Key differences

Tulip tree grows larger: 8 m × 6 m after ten years, against 6 m × 5 m for Indian bean tree (an estimate: sources differ).
Indian bean tree copes better with summer heat than Tulip tree.
Indian bean tree tolerates drought better than Tulip tree.
Indian bean tree also takes chalky soil, Tulip tree prefers acidic soil and struggles on chalk.

Which one to choose?

Indian bean tree is the better choice if space is tight, the spot is hot and sunny, you cannot water regularly or the soil is chalky.

Watch out for

Indian bean tree

The wood is brittle: storms easily break branches, and wind and hail tear the big leaves, so it belongs in a sheltered spot. Its main disease is verticillium wilt: branches suddenly wilt and die back and the tree may be killed, there is no cure, and a dead tree should not be replaced with another catalpa or other susceptible species. Powdery mildew, leaf spots and aphids can also occur. It leafs out very late, only towards May, and drops its leaves early. The crown of the globe form flattens and opens with age; regular winter cutting back keeps its shape.

Tulip tree

It copes poorly with the hot, dry summers of Central Europe: in drought the inner leaves yellow and fall as early as July, leaf margins brown, and newly planted trees may die without watering. It is unsuitable for dry, shallow or compacted soil and for paved surroundings. The wood is soft and brittle, so branches break easily in storms, freezing rain and wet snow. Honeydew from aphids drips stickily from the foliage and sooty mould grows on it; verticillium wilt, powdery mildew and leaf spots also occur.

The data side by side

Feature	Indian bean tree	Tulip tree
Group	Large tree	Large tree
Size after 10 years	6 m × 5 m (uncertain)	8 m × 6 m
Ultimate size	9–18 m × 6–15 m	18–30 m × 9–15 m
Growth rate	Fast	Fast
Light	Full sun, Part shade	Full sun, Part shade
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Calcareous	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Acidic
Hardiness	down to -29 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)	down to -29 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)
Heat tolerance	High	Low
Foliage	Deciduous	Deciduous
Flowering	June–July, white	May–July, yellow, green, orange
Water need	Medium	Medium
Drought tolerance	Medium	Low
Maintenance	Medium	Medium
Planting distance	800 cm	1000 cm
For dogs	no data	Non-toxic
For cats	no data	Non-toxic
For children	no data	Mildly toxic (uncertain)
Typical price	no data	approx. PLN 20

Prices are rounded, indicative values. Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor. Data updated: October 17, 2026

Want a more precise suggestion?

Describe the spot and what you are after in a few words, and the plant finder picks for your garden.

Open the plant finder

More comparisons

Indian bean tree vs Japanese pagoda tree Tulip tree vs Japanese pagoda tree