Caucasian Bladdernut Staphylea colchica

Staphylea colchica, or Colchis Bladdernut, is an upright, flowering, heavily branched deciduous shrub or small tree, maturing to 10 to 15 feet high and wide. Also known as Caucasian Bladdernut, the shrub is suckering and thicket-forming. It is native to forests at elevations up to 4000 feet in the southern Caucasus mountains. In addition to the attraction of its fragrant blossoms, the seed pods are curiously attractive and remain visible on the shrub in summer and fall. Many gardeners consider this species and its varieties to be the most ornamentally attractive (flowers and fruits) of the bladdernuts.

This plant prefers evenly moist, rich, loamy, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade and does best in partial shade. It will tolerate a wide range of soils as long as they are not too dry. It is winter hardy to USDA Zone 6 and should be sited in a protected, south-facing location. Some winter dieback may occur in harsh winters. Do not allow soils to dry out. You can propagate  the plant by seeds, cuttings and suckers. A very ornamental plant, it is fairly fast-growing when young, but slows with age. It flowers best in years that follow hot summers.

Diseases, Insects, and Other Plant Problems:

No serious insect or disease problems. Leaf spot and twig blight may occur. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus.