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Staphylea colchica

Common name:	Bladdernut	Family:	Staphyleaceae
Author:	Stev.	Botanical references:	11, 74, 200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	W. Asia - S.W. Caucasus.
Habitat:	Forests to 1200 metres[74, 184].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	1	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	colchica = Colchis, west Georgia;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Sapindales. Bladdernut family

Physical Characteristics

A decidious shrub growing to 4m by 4m at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 6. It is in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen from September to November. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 1/5 for edibility and 1/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.

Edible Uses

Flowers.

Flower buds[74]. No further details are given.

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Purgative.

Purgative[74].

Other Uses

Oil.

An oil from the seed tastes like pistachio nuts but is purgative[74]. The report did not say if the oil had other uses.

Cultivation details

Tolerant of a wide range of soils so long as they are not too dry[182, 200], it prefers a rich loamy soil in full sun or semi-shade[1, 11, 200]. Prefers a neutral to acid soil but tolerates some alkalinity[202].
A very ornamental plant, it is hardy to about -20°c[184]. Fairly fast-growing when young, but slowing with age[202].
Flowers best in years that follow hot summers[200].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].

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[200], 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, July/August in a frame. Fair to good percentage[78].
Layering in July/August. Takes 15 months. Good percentage[78].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Staphyleaceae.

To be included in the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[74] Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968
An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[184] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989 ISBN 0-330-30258-2
Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1900 species and cultivars.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[202] Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking. 1990 ISBN 0-670-82929-3
Contains information on 2,000 species and cultivars, giving details of cultivation requirements. The text is terse but informative.

Readers Comments

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Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Staphylea+colchica
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Staphylea+colchica

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