Scientific Name:
Staphylea pinnata
Pronunciation:
staf-FEE-lee-ah pin-NAY-tuh
Common Name:
European bladdernut
Family Name:
Staphyleaceae
Plant Type:
Tree - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Leaves alternate, pinnately compound, most with 5(-7) leaflets ovate-oblong, most 6-10cm long x 2.5-4cm wide; margin serrate; panicles pendulous, most 8-13cm long (excluding the long peduncle), florets bell-shaped, 1-1.5cm wide, 5 white petals, 5 white sepals with red tips; capsules 2 or 3 lobed, papery and bladder-like, gradually turn from green to yellow-reddish to brown, 3-4cm long. Winter ID: multi-stemmed trunk; brown capsule remnants on soil.
Habit:
Upright
Form:
Oval - vertical, Round
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
5 - 7m
Mature Spread:
4 - 5m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
Central / west Asia, Europe
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 6: (-23 to -18 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Humus rich, Well-drained
Landscape Uses:
Fall interest, Hedge row, Shade tree, Specimen plant, Spring interest
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Compound
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Pubescent
Compound Leaf:
Odd-pinnate
Colour in Summer:
Green, Dark-green
Colour in Fall:
Yellow, Red
Shapes:
Oblong, Ovate
Apices:
Acuminate, Caudate
Bases:
Cuneate, Rounded
Margins:
Serrate
Additional Info:
Leaf hairs observed in May on undersides, mainly at base along midrib
Inflorescence Type:
Panicle
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Campanulate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
White
Flower Scent:
Fragrant
Flower Time at Peak:
Apr, May
Fruit Type:
Capsule, Edible
Fruit Colour:
Green, Red, Dark-red, Brown
Fruiting Time:
Jul, Aug, Sep
Additional Info:
Showy, Edible, Persistent, Seeds taste similar to pistachio
Bark Morphology:
Moderately fissured, Multi-stem trunk
Bark or Stem Colour:
Grey, Brown
Leaf Bud Type:
Rounded or globular
Leaf Scar Shape:
Half-oval
Organ Modifications:
Root suckering
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Fungal leaf spot (Pest resistant, Disease resistant)
