Staphylea trifolia

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Staphylea trifolia SCA-3462.jpg

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI). |author2=IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group |date=2018 |title=Staphylea trifolia |volume=2018 |page=e.T135957125A135957127 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T135957125A135957127.en |access-date=20 November 2021}}

| genus = Staphylea

| species = trifolia

| authority = L.

| range_map = Staphylea trifolia range map.png

}}

Staphylea trifolia, the American bladdernut,{{PLANTS|id=STTR|taxon=Staphylea trifolia|accessdate=1 December 2015}} is native to eastern North America, from southern Ontario and southwestern Quebec west to Nebraska and Arkansas, and south to Florida. It is sometimes used as an ornamental plant.

It is a medium-sized shrub growing to {{cvt|3.5|m}} tall.{{Missouri Plants |genus=Staphylea |species=trifolia}} Its growth rate is medium to fast.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}} The leaves are opposite and divided into three leaflets, each leaflet {{cvt|4.5-13|cm|0}} long{{eFloras|1 |volume=9 |first=Luc |last=Brouillet}} and {{cvt|5|cm|0}} broad, with a serrated margin. The leaves are bright green in the spring, turning dark green in the summer. S. trifolia produces pendant white flowers in spring, which mature into bladder-like, teardrop-shaped fruits that contain 1-3 brown popcorn-like seeds. Some sources consider these "nuts" to be edible.

{{cite web | url=https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/staphylea-trifolia/ |title = Staphylea trifolia }}