Pronounced (approximate): staf-ih-LEE-ah try-FOH-lee-ah
Drooping clusters of white bell-shaped flowers.
American Bladdernut (Staphylea trifolia): flowers and plant details. Tap the photo to open the gallery.
Family Staphyleaceae
Life cycle Deciduous shrub
Blooms April–June
Height 6–16 feet
Habitat Moist woods, wooded bluffs, and river floodplains
Common names: American Bladdernut · Bladdernut
Bloom timing and height vary with location. See the regional range below.
Explore reported observations. Sightings are not a complete range map.
Moist woods, wooded bluffs, and river floodplains. Flowering season: april–june.
The three leaflets and balloon-like capsules distinguish bladdernut from shrubs with simple leaves.
Drooping clusters of white bell-shaped flowers.
Opposite leaves divided into three toothed leaflets.
Inflated, papery three-part seed capsules.
Moist woods, wooded bluffs, and river floodplains.
13 field photographs. Select a photograph to enlarge it; use Load more photos to see the rest.
Native to central and eastern North America.
Documented U.S. state records
AL, AR, FL, GA, IL, KY, LA, MD, MN, MS, NE, NJ, NY, NC, OK, PA, SC, TN, VT, VA, WV, WI
Documented state occurrences; native and introduced records may both be included. This is not a county-level map.
Observation maps show submitted records, not every place the plant occurs. Follow local access rules when visiting a site.
Practice recognizing American Bladdernut in the flower quiz, or compare it with other plants in the guide.
Field photographs: Where’s Wildlife.