Common Name: European Bladder Nut

General Information

Staphylea pinnata is an erect, deciduous shrub or small tree that can grow up to 5 metres tall[]. The plant produces suckers, eventually developing into a large plant[]
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, though it is also sometimes transplanted from the wild and grown in gardens as a food plant[]. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Central and southern Europe - France and Germany, eastwards to the Caucasus. Naturalized in Britain[].

Habitat

Broadleaved forests, forest edges; at elevations up to 1,300 metres[]. Hedgerows and copses[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	4.50 m
Pollinators	Flies
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Staphylea pinnata is hardy to about -20°c[].
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[].
The plants flower best in years that follow hot summers[].
There are reports on naturally occurring hybrids between this species and Staphylea colchica[].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

Seed - raw[, , ]. Said to taste like pistachios, the seeds are eaten by children in Germany[].

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

Medicinal

The seed oil is purgative[].

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[].
Plants sometimes produce suckers, these can be removed in the dormant season and planted out.