Bumald Blatternut gets its common name from its fruits that resemble a bladder. A deciduous shrub that has a multistemmed suckering habit. It prefers full sun, however will also do well in partial or light shade and consistently moist soils. Plant as a hedge or use it in a shrub border or woodland garden. Its natural habitat includes forests, along streams, and in thickets. It will thrive in a variety of soil conditions, providing that the soil is not too dry. The optimum growing conditions include rich loamy soil in full sun to part shade. The best flowering occurs in the year following a hot summer. The edible leaves can be boiled in salted oil. It's not a typical menu choice, most often eaten when other foods are not available. It can be dried for future consumption. Its wood can be harvested and used in construction. Oils obtained from the seeds are used for the creation of soaps and paint. This plant, as well as others in this genus, has a high resistance to honey fungus. Typically not susceptible to wind damage. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems. Twig blight and leaf spot are occasional diseases.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Moist
Available space
3 feet-6 feet; 6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in. | Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Multi-stemmed; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Each leaf is composed of three elliptic to lance-shaped leaflets up to 2" long. The tips taper to a point. The upper side is a darker green than the underside. The underside also has persistent hairs on the veins.
Flower color
White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Panicle
Flower shape
Bell
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Mildly fragrant, reddish panicles of small, dull to creamy white flowers appear from May to June.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Green
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Fruit detail
Inflated seed capsules resembling a bladder follow the flowers. The fruits are green when they emerge, drying and turning brown as they age. The seeds have a yellow tint.
Bark color
Dark Brown
Bark detail
The smooth, brown bark has a slight texture appearing as vertical stripes.