American Bladdernut
Staphylea trifolia
- Plant Type
- Shrub (Deciduous)
- Landscape Layer
- Understory
- Sun
- ⛅ Part Sun, ☁️ Shade
- Moisture
- 💧 Regular
- Soil
- Clay, Loam, Sand, Silt, Calcareous
- Bloom
- April, May, June
- Sociability
- S3 – Small colonies
Pollinator Value
Ecology & Conservation
- Proximity Score
- 0
- Native Status
- ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
- Closest Direction
- Local
- CEC Eco-Regions
- 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
- Rarity Notes
- Ranked S3 (Vulnerable) in Quebec where it is near its northern range limit, concentrated in the St. Lawrence Lowlands and Ottawa River corridor. Ranked S4 (Apparently Secure) in Ontario. Globally secure (G5). Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC.
- Rarity Ranks
- QC S3 – Vulnerable, ON S4 – Apparently Secure
- Migration
- Stable
- Ecological Context
- A shade-tolerant understory shrub of rich, moist floodplain forests, streamside thickets, and mesic deciduous woodlands. In the Ottawa-Gatineau region, it occurs on alluvial soils under canopies of Acer saccharinum, Tilia americana, and Celtis occidentalis, often on river island sandy deposits. It is ranked S3 (Vulnerable) in Quebec, where it reaches the northern edge of its range, but S4 in Ontario.
S4 moist deep woods, floodplain woods; S48 habitat records; S22 S3 QC, S4 ON; S7 floodplains and river banks
Permaculture & Companion Planting
- Roles
- Fortress/Barrier, Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [MEDIUM]: S68 4 bee associations (threshold=3)]
- Notes
- A useful understory or edge shrub in woodland guild designs. Dense underground root systems provide erosion control on streambanks. Pest and disease resistant, tolerant of a wide range of soils, and deer-resistant. Functions well as a barrier or screening plant due to suckering habit, and provides spring pollinator resources.
S29 erosion control, pest resistant; S10 deer resistant; S4 insect and disease resistant
Medicinal Properties ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
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ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
Click here for more info →- Category
- Antirheumatic, Dermatological Aid, Gynecological Aid, Pediatric Aid, Sedative
S28 Moerman categories
- Notes
- Iroquois used a compound infusion for rheumatism, an infusion of powdered bark as a wash for sore faces, a compound bark poultice for gynecological complaints, and a bark infusion wash as a sedative for children. Meskwaki considered the seeds sacred and used them in gourd rattles for medicine and dream dances.
Edibility & Foraging ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
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ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
Click here for more info →❌ Not Edible
- Foraging Notes
- PFAF gives an edibility rating of 3/5. Seeds can be eaten raw or cooked and have been compared to pistachios. A sweet edible oil can be obtained from the seeds and used for cooking. However, there is no documented history of common culinary use, and Moerman's ethnobotanical database records no food uses by Indigenous peoples.
Seed Source
- Akène
- Prairie Moon