#staphylea

Plant of the Day

Sunday 12 April 2026

Reaching up to 10m in height Staphylea holocarpa var. rosea (Chinese bladdernut) can be either a shrub or a small, spreading tree. The flower buds emerge in early spring before the new bronze tinted foliage. The flowers are followed by inflated, papery fruit.

Plant of the Day

Saturday 10 April 2021

Not often seen in parks and gardens is this lovely spring flowering shrub or small tree Staphylea holocarpa var. rosea (rose-coloured Chinese bladdernut). This deciduous plant has upright growth with emerging bronze leaves that appear with the hanging clusters of fragrant pink, bell-shaped flowers. In autumn there are greenish-white, inflated fruit.

Plant of the Day

Saturday 22 April 2017

The upright, deciduous shrub Staphylea colchica (bladdernut) has been flowering for a month with small, white, fragrant, bell-shaped flowers in hanging clusters. In the summer there will be large, greenish-white, inflated fruit. This plant is easy to grow in any moist, well-drained soil in sun or semi-shade. I had a pink cultivar as 'Plant of the Day' on Sunday 26 March 2017 so that indicates how long they can be flowering.

Plant of the Day

Sunday 26 March 2017

From a distance I thought this was a flowering cherry but on closer inspection it was the beautiful Staphylea holocarpa 'Rosea' (bladdernut). This deciduous plant once established makes a large branching shrub or small tree. It has showy, fragrant, pale pink bell-shaped flowers, in nodding groups that appear before the bronze young leaves, and followed by greenish-white bladder like fruit. I think we should plant more of these!