European Bladdernut Staphylea pinnata
- Phonetic Spelling
- staf-FEE-lee-ah pin-NAY-tuh
- Description
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Staphylea pinnata, or European Bladdernut, is a deciduous, suckering, perennial shrub or small tree that grows to 15 feet high and 15 feet wide. It is a low-maintenance, vigorous heavily branched plant with an upright habit. European Bladdernut grows easily in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. For best results, site in partial shade with rich, evenly moist soils. It will tolerate a variety of soils, but not dry ones. This is a very ornamental plant and flowers best in years that follow hot summers.
The seed capsule of this plant is often described as being "bladder-like" in appearance, hence the common name of bladdernut for this shrub.
Diseases, Insects, and Other Plant Problems:
No serious insect or disease problems, although leaf spot and twig blight may occur. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Staphylea
- Species:
- pinnata
- Family:
- Staphyleaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Root Cutting
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Central Europe, Turkey, and the Caucasus
- Edibility:
- Seeds are eaten raw and said to taste like pistachios. The seeds are eaten by children in Germany.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 10 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 10 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Perennial
- Shrub
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Erect
- Multi-stemmed
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- Fruit is an inflated, papery, baggy, 2 to 3 lobed, subglobose seed capsule (to 1 1/2 inches long).
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Panicle
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Bell
- Flower Petals:
- Colored Sepals
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Small, fragrant, white flowers (each to 1/2 inch long) with red-tipped sepals bloom in drooping panicles (each to 5 inches long) in May and June.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Oblong
- Ovate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Compound pinnate leaves with 5 to 7 pointed leaflets (each to 4 inches long).
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Shade Garden
- Design Feature:
- Barrier
- Border
- Flowering Tree
- Hedge
