American Bladdernut

Staphylea trifolia

Found in nutrient-rich bottomland forests, extending upslope over calcareous or mafic rocks. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

30

Good

Native to Mississippi. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 94%

Height: 10–15 feet
Spread: 10–15 feet
Light: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 12.5 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

Staphylea trifolia — bloom photograph — Jerzy Opioła · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Woody perennial
Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: April to May
Fruiting season: August to October

JFMAMJJASOND

Recorded in 23 Mississippi counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Mississippi. Shared habitat, not food. 81 animals.

Acadian Flycatcher
Empidonax virescens
Birds. 1 shared habitat
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Birds. 1 shared habitat
American Goldfinch
Carduelis tristis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
American Kestrel
Falco sparverius
Birds. 1 shared habitat
American Redstart
Setophaga ruticilla
Birds. 1 shared habitat
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Birds. 1 shared habitat
American Woodcock
Scolopax minor
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Baltimore Oriole
Icterus galbula
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Barred Owl
Strix varia
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Belted Kingfisher
Megaceryle alcyon
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Bewick's Wren
Thryomanes bewickii
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Black-and-White Warbler
Mniotilta varia
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Blue Grosbeak
Passerina caerulea
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Polioptila caerulea
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Broad-winged Hawk
Buteo platypterus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Brown Creeper
Certhia americana
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Brown Thrasher
Toxostoma rufum
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Brown-headed Cowbird
Molothrus ater
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Carolina Chickadee
Poecile carolinensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Carolina Wren
Thryothorus ludovicianus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Cedar Waxwing
Bombycilla cedrorum
Birds. 1 shared habitat

All wildlife of Mississippi

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

3CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including MS

Genus host records with ranges including MS · Staphylea

Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
Papilio cresphontesEastern Giant Swallowtail

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

0BeesSoutheastern regional records

0Specialist beesPollen specialists

—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Beetles 1

Molorchus bimaculatus

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Flies 3

Bombylius atriceps
Empis otiosa
Eristalis flavipes

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Adult butterflies / moths 1

Thanaos juvenalis

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Other wasps 1

Vespula maculata

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Other insects 1

Lygus pratensis

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

No records yet · Ants

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Staphyleaceae
Hardiness: Zones 3a–8b
Flower color: Green or white
Fruit begins: August
Fruit ends: October

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “April to May” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Green or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differs)
Fruit begins · “August” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
Fruit ends · “October” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
Hardiness · “Zones 3a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “10–15 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Minnesota Wildflowers, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Spread · “10–15 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Bladdernut; Possum Cods

Conservation status

Mississippi rank	S3
Global rank	G5
MS status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

Choose a county to begin.

How to check your spot

Sources