American Bladdernut (Staphylea trifolia) 3 Gallon

Exposure: Full Sun - Full Shade Soil: Medium - Medium Wet Mature Height: 10-15 feet Mature Width: 10- 15 feet Description: One of the first flowers you may notice in spring could be a cluster of white bell flowers on Bladdernut. The flowers form interesting bladder pods that persist through summer. This is a woodland species that forms thickets from rhizomes. Bladdernut likes rich, acidic soils. Attracts: Insects: The flowers attract honeybees, bumblebees, Halictid bees (Halictus spp., Lasioglossum spp.), Andrenid bees (Andrena spp.), Syrphid flies, dance flies (Empis spp.), and the Giant Bee Fly (Bombylius major). Most of these insects suck nectar from the flowers, although the Syrphid flies feed on the pollen and some of the bees collect pollen for their larvae. Another insect, Thrips quinciensis, has been observed sucking juices from Bladdernut, while Lopidea staphyleae(Bladdernut Plant Bug), is a monophagous or oligophagous feeder on this shrub. Additional information about floral-faunal relationships for this species is scarce. Apparently, White-Tailed Deer are less likely to browse on Bladdernut than other woody shrubs, although the reasons for this preference are unclear.