Common Name: Caucasian Bladdernut

General Information

Staphylea colchica is a deciduous shrub or small tree with arching stems; it usually grows around 4 - 5 metres tall, occasionally reaching 7 metres[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials, though it is also sometimes transplanted from the wild and grown in gardens as a food plant[, ]. An attractive plant, grown as an ornamental.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

W. Asia - Caucasus (Georgia [Abkhazia, Ajaria])

Habitat

Forests; at elevations up to 1,200 metres[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	4.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Staphylea colchica is a very cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate temperatures down to around -20 to -25°c when fully dormant[, ]
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[, , ]. Prefers a neutral to acid soil but tolerates some alkalinity[].
A very ornamental plant, it is fairly fast-growing when young, but slowing with age[].
Flowers best in years that follow hot summers[]. The flowers are sweetly scented[].
There are reports on naturally occurring hybrids between this species and Staphylea pinnata[].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

Flower buds and inflorescences[]. Eaten pickled in eastern Georgia and northern Armenia[]

Medicinal

The seed oil is purgative[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The flowers are a good source of nectar for bees[].

Other Uses

An oil from the seed tastes like pistachio nuts but is purgative[]. The report did not say if the oil had other uses.

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[].
Layering in mid summer. Takes 15 months. Good percentage[].
Division of rooted suckers[].