楸树原产中国，利用历史悠久，是珍贵的优质用材树种和著名园林观赏树种，素有“木王”之称。但长期以来，由于过度采伐利用，加之繁育困难，导致林木资源萎缩，也制约了在城乡园林绿化中的推广应用。为了推动楸树的开发和应用，本文依据相关文献，系统概述了楸树的生物学特性、生态习性、观赏特征和经济价值等；归纳总结了楸树具有“见证历史、材貌绝伦、象征吉祥和药用悠久”等文史内涵；阐述了楸树在园林绿化中的多种应用途径，如可作为城市绿化、道路绿化、林农间作、四旁绿化和营造生态经济林的优选树种；最后，针对当前楸树开发利用中存在的问题，提出了培育新品种、扩大苗木繁育面积、加强在城市园林绿化中的配置研究和推广应用等对策。

Catalpa bungei C.A.Mey. and C.fargesii Bur., usually known as ‘the king among trees’, are valuable timber and famous ornamental tree species endemic to China, with a long utilizing history. However, the excessively cut for utilizing, as well as difficulties in breeding, results in not only shrinking in forest resources, but also restriction of the application of gardening in the urban and rural areas. According to the relative literatures, the paper gives a brief commentary on the main biological, ecological, ornamental characters and economic value etc. in order to promote their exploitation and application. It summarizes the cultural connotations of Catalpa bungei. and C. fargesii, such as ‘the witness of history , excellency of wood quality and tree posture , a auspicious symbol and a age-old history as medical plant’. In addition, the paper states main ways of their applications in landscaping, such as urban greening, road greening, forest-crop intercropping, ‘four sides’ greening, building eco-economic forests ect.. At last, based on the existing problems in the exploitation and use of this kind of tree currently, some countermeasures are presented, such as breed new varieties, enlarging the cultivation area of seedlings, enhancing the research of plant disposition and extending applications in urban gardening.