Staphylea trifolia, the American bladdernut,[2] is native to eastern North America, from southern Ontario and southwestern Quebec west to Nebraska and Arkansas, and south to Florida. It is sometimes used as an ornamental plant.
| Staphylea trifolia | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Crossosomatales |
| Family: | Staphyleaceae |
| Genus: | Staphylea |
| Species: | S. trifolia |
| Binomial name | |
| Staphylea trifolia | |
 | |
It is a medium-sized shrub growing to 3.5 m (11 ft) tall.[3] Its growth rate is medium to fast.[citation needed] The leaves are opposite and divided into three leaflets, each leaflet 4.5–13 cm (2–5 in) long[4] and 5 cm (2 in) broad, with a serrated margin.[3] The leaves are bright green in the spring, turning dark green in the summer. S. trifolia produces pendant white flowers in spring, which mature into bladder-like, teardrop-shaped fruits that contain 1-3 brown popcorn-like seeds.[3] Some sources consider these "nuts" to be edible.[5]
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