Bladdernut, Staphylea trifolia, also known as American Bladdernut is a large, deciduous shrub, at times small multi-stemmed, nut bearing tree that grows to 2-5 meters tall. Staphylea trifolia belongs to the small Staphylea genus of 10-15 in the family Staphyleaceae. Bladdernut is indigenous to temperate parts of the Northern Hemisphere and with the highest species variety (4) in China.


The leaves are opposite arranged in pairs, and pinnate, generally with 3-7 finely-toothed leaflets. Flowers are born in drooping terminal panicles 5-10 cm long, with 5-15 convex shaped flowers on each panicle in early summertime, produced from the axils of the compound leaves. The individual flowers are approximately 1 cm long, with five petals white or pale pink in color. They are pollinated by bees and bumblebees.

The fruit of Staphylea trifolia is an expanded papery two or three-lobed, ovoid shaped capsule, 3-10 cm long, containing a few small, brown, smooth, and about 1cm across edible nut-like seeds. Bladder nuts, as they are generally known, ripen in the autumn and they might be easily compared to pistachio nuts.

Tree propagation is by seed. Seeds are sown in very early spring or autumn and they can be very slow to sprout, normally up to a year. Bladdernut is a hardy plant and grows well in any good loamy, moist soil. It can grow in full sun or semi-shade but favors a partially shaded position.

Bladdernut, Staphylea trifolia

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