The bit of mess they make is a fair trade for the nice visuals.
Meant to tell you that we have three Northern Catalpa trees in the house yard. Ours are just starting to leaf out - they’re usually the last to do so, along with the Black Walnut trees around here.
They are spectacular when they bloom; each bloom looks like a mini Orchid.
They are messy though - spent blooms and the long pods they drop all over are a pita, but worth it for the show they put on in the late Spring. :)
https://www.thespruce.com/northern-catalp-tree-profile-5072953
The bit of mess they make is a fair trade for the nice visuals.