Leaf
John De Vos, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Bladder senna
Colutea arborescens L.
Family: Fabaceae
2 to 4 m tall
Informal hedges, dry banks, gardens, all soils even poor ones
Flowering: May – July
Full sun
Hardy to -20°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Its pods, inflated like balloons, burst with a sharp pop when squeezed, hence its name.
🍃 Leaves
Deciduous, pinnate compound, rounded light green leaflets
🌸 Flowers
Small yellow flowers in racemes, pea-flower shaped
🍎 Fruits
Very inflated, papery and translucent pods, turning beige to light brown when ripe.
🪵 Bark
Grey-brown shoots, supple spreading habit
🗺️ Distribution
Southern and central Europe, North Africa; found mainly in the south and south-east of France on dry, calcareous slopes.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Yellow pea-type flowers visited by bees and bumblebees in spring and summer.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Planted as a specimen or informal hedge on dry soil, valued for its decorative inflated pods.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
The seeds must not be eaten; ingesting a large amount may cause digestive upset.
🌿 Other Fabaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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