European bladdernut

European bladdernut: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Upright, multi-stemmed shrub about 3 m tall and wide, sometimes taller with age.

Leaves

Pinnate, with five to seven oval, toothed leaflets; leaves opposite along the stems.

Flowers

Hanging panicles of white to pale pink, bell-shaped flowers with a soft scent, in May–June.

Fruit

Inflated, papery pods 3–5 cm long, green at first and straw-coloured later, with hard seeds that rattle inside.

Bark

Smooth, greenish-grey bark with pale stripes, attractive in winter too.

Flowering: May–June · Plants: March–April and October–November · Pruning: June

Why grow it?

• Scented white flower clusters in May–June, popular with bees.
• The inflated green seed pods are an unusual ornament in late summer and autumn.
• It grows in any good garden soil, even chalky, in sun or partial shade.
• Fully hardy, tough and not prone to disease.
• Stems with seed pods look good in a vase or dried arrangement.

European bladdernut: where does it grow best?

• Sun to partial shade; in sun it flowers more freely.
• Ordinary, good garden soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
• Normally moist, well-drained soil; no standing water.
• A sheltered spot near a terrace or path lets you enjoy the scent most.
• Allow 2.5–3 m of space per plant.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal

Size

3 m tall, 3 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Guelder rose: The same soil and spot, with white flower heads and red berries in autumn.
• Weigela: Flowers at the same time, in pink and red beside the white clusters.
• Cranesbill (hardy geranium): Fills the space under the shrub and flowers in May–June too.
• Hosta: Large leaves under the shrub, in the partial shade.

European bladdernut: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and October–November.

1. Plant in March–April or in October–November, when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and mix in a little compost.
3. Set the shrub at the same depth as it stood in its pot and firm the soil well.
4. Keep 2.5–3 m away from other shrubs and buildings.
5. Water in well straight away, even if it is raining.
6. Spread a layer of compost or bark around the base.

Care

Water

Weekly in dry spells in the first year. After that it manages on rain, except in long dry summers.

Feeding

In spring, a spadeful of compost or a handful of organic fertiliser.

Mulching

A layer of compost or bark keeps the soil moist and suppresses weeds.

Seedlings

Young plants may come up under the shrub. Pull them out or move them in autumn.

Upkeep

Remove dead and damaged stems as soon as you see them; no more work is needed.

Tip: Plant it near a terrace or path, where you will smell the scent in May. Let the pods turn papery and cut a few stems for a dried arrangement.

European bladdernut: when to prune it?

Pruning months: June.

When: After flowering, in June. It needs little pruning.

How:

• Remove dead, damaged and crossing stems right at the base.
• Cut overlong or awkward stems back to a side shoot.
• Every few years, take a few of the oldest stems to the ground to keep the shrub young.

Caution: Do not prune in winter or early spring: the flower buds are already on the branches.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Sow fresh seed in autumn in pots left outdoors; it needs a cold spell and often germinates only after one or two winters.

Softwood cuttings

In June: 8–10 cm cuttings from young shoots in moist cutting compost under plastic; rooting can take several weeks.

Suckers

In autumn or early spring, lift a rooted sucker and replant it.

European bladdernut: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Fully hardy, down to about −25 °C: in Belgium it never needs protection.
• The seed pods often stay on the shrub until late autumn; leave them, they are decorative.
• In a pot: stand it in a sheltered spot and wrap the pot in hessian so the roots do not freeze.

Diseases and pests

• Coral spot: Small orange-red pustules on dead stems. Cut affected wood back into healthy wood, clear away the prunings and disinfect your secateurs.
• Aphids: On young shoots in May. Ladybirds usually clear them; otherwise rinse off with a strong jet of water.
• Seedlings and suckers: The shrub self-seeds and can produce suckers. Pull out young plants before they grow large.
• Drought stress: Limp foliage on young shrubs in dry summers. Water at the base and lay a mulch.

Through the year

• March: Plant or transplant. Give compost.
• April: Apply mulch. Water in dry weather.
• May: Flowering begins. Watch for aphids.
• June: Flowering. Prune after flowering. Take softwood cuttings.
• July: Water in dry weather. The pods swell.
• August: The inflated pods are decorative. Water in dry weather.
• September: Cut pods for dried arrangements. Collect fresh seed.
• October: Plant. Sow in pots.
• November: Plant. Cut out dead wood.
• December: Dormant.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The name Staphylea comes from the Greek staphyle, ‘bunch of grapes’, after the hanging flower clusters.
• The seeds rattle inside the dry, papery pods, hence the English name bladdernut.
• The species name pinnata means ‘feathered’, after the pinnate, compound leaves.