For the First Time in 14 Years: Rare Catalpa Blooms in Sochi

There are only three places in Russia where the rare Catalpa fargesii grows. Besides the "Arboretum" park, the plant can be found in the Subtropical Garden of Kuban in Sochi and in the Nikitsky Botanical Garden of Crimea.

"Catalpa fargesii belongs to the Bignoniaceae family and is a deciduous tree. Pink-red flowers with purple-brown spots bloom in late spring. The flowers of this plant are considered more decorative than those of most other catalpa species. The plant's seeds were originally brought from Beijing to the Nikitsky Botanical Garden in Yalta in 1959. In 1974, a mother plant of the catalpa arrived at the 'Arboretum' of the Sochi National Park," the Sochi National Park reported.

A sapling of Catalpa fargesii was successfully obtained through a root sprout from dying specimens and was planted in the "Arboretum" in 2014. Over time, it has grown into a magnificent five-meter tree.