How to Grow and Care for Bladdernuts

The common bladdernut (Staphylea pinnata) grows easily in shrub borders and hedges. It has symmetrical leaves and will produce white bell-shaped flowers with a nice fragrance in early summer. Flies are its primary pollinators. The seeds are protected by an inflated pod or bladder.

Common euscaphis (Staphylea japonica) is an ornamental tree that is grown more for its elaborate red seed sacs than for its comparatively subdued yellow flowers. It is a good garden tree because it is highly adaptable to conditions including drought and clay soils. The epithet japonica refers to its Japanese heritage.

The american bladdernut, or Staphylea trifolia, gets its name from its unusually shaped seed pod that grows from striking white clusters of flowers. It is a fast-growing, deciduous shrub that can get quite large and spreads easily by suckers that grow at its base.

The leaves are Miide compound leaves (some spring be 5). The flowers bloom in conical inflorescences at the end of the branches from spring to summer. Although it doesn't open completely the petals and gags (5 each) are white and stand out. The fruit is a flat and sharp-shaped fruit. The stem is hollow like the eel.

Caucasian bladdernut is a shrub loved for both its appearance and its aroma. It is a popular ornamental, frequently featuring in beds, borders and cottage gardens. Colchica within the plant's Latin name was given to honour its native region; Colchis was an ancient western Georgian kingdom.