Common Name:

General Information

Staphylea bumalda is a deciduous shrub or small tree with spreading branches; it usually grows up to 2 metres tall, but occasionally reaches 5 metres[].
The plant is commonly harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials. It is a popular vegetable in parts of its range and has potential for medicinal use[]. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental.
Staphylea bumalda has a very wide distribution, a large population, is not currently experiencing any major threats and no significant future threats have been identified. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2019)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - China (Anhui, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Jilin, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan), Japan, Korea.

Habitat

Woods and by streams in lowland and hilly areas; at elevations up to 1,300 metres[]. Open forests and roadsides[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	1.80 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Staphylea bumalda is generally a very cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate temperatures down to around -30°c when fully dormant. The Japanese form of the species, however, is rather more tender[, , ]. The plants flower best in years that follow hot summers[].
Tolerant of a wide range of soils so long as they are not too dry[, ], it prefers a rich loamy soil in full sun or semi-shade[, , ].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves - cooked[, , , ]. Boiled, then eaten with oil and salt[]. They can be dried for later use[]. Often seen as a famine food and only eaten when better foods are not available[].

Flower buds - cooked[]. A popular wild vegetable[].

Medicinal

The plant has been used as a main ingredient in proprietary medicines to treat neurological diseases[].

The plant contains compounds of value in the treatment of inflammatory diseases[].

Other Uses

An oil obtained from the seed is used for making soap and paint[].

A fibre is obtained from the barl[].

Propagation

Seed - this can be very slow to germinate, sometimes taking 18 months or more. It is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[], and some of it at least should then germinate in the spring. Stored seed should be sown as early in the year as possible and given cold stratification - it might not germinate until spring of the following year. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out early the following summer.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, mid summer in a frame. Fair to good percentage[].
Cuttings of mature wood usually root readily[].
Layering in mid summer. Takes 15 months. Good percentage[].