Flower profile
American bladdernut
Staphylea trifolia
American bladdernut is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Indiana it's most often seen in bloom in April–May.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Indiana
Quick look
Staphylea trifolia, the American bladdernut, 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 belongs to the Staphyleaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 32 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Indiana. NatureServe
- In Indiana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 817 research-grade sightings of it in Indiana, ranking #93 among the 109 flowers on our Indiana list. iNaturalist
American bladdernut gift ideas
Handmade american bladdernut gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
-
Placeholder
American bladdernut art print
-
Placeholder
American bladdernut greeting card
-
Placeholder
American bladdernut mug
-
Placeholder
American bladdernut earrings
-
Placeholder
American bladdernut embroidery pattern
-
Placeholder
American bladdernut sticker
When does it bloom?
In Indiana, most flowering sightings come in April–May.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Indiana
- No list Indiana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the DNR keeps a rare plant list, but it isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Indiana ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Indiana.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: FL (S1), LA (SH), NH (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
NC State Extension notes: “Seeds can be eaten raw or cooked. The seed can be used in place of walnuts in making chocolate-chip cookies. A sweet edible oil is obtained from the seed used for cooking purposes.” NC State Extension
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records American bladdernut in 32 states plus Washington, D.C.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.
Indiana counties with USDA records: Adams, Allen, Blackford, Carroll, Cass, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Crawford, Daviess, DeKalb, Dearborn, Decatur, Delaware, Elkhart, Fayette, Floyd, Fountain, Franklin, Fulton, Gibson, Grant, Greene, Hamilton, Harrison, Hendricks, Henry, Howard, Huntington, Jackson, Jay, Jefferson, Jennings, Johnson, Knox, Kosciusko, LaPorte, Lagrange, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Martin, Miami, Monroe, Montgomery, Newton, Noble, Orange, Owen, Parke, Perry, Porter, Posey, Putnam, Randolph, Ripley, Rush, Scott, Spencer, St. Joseph, Starke, Steuben, Tippecanoe, Vermillion, Vigo, Wabash, Warren, Warrick, Washington, Wayne, Wells, White.
More Indiana flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile STTR.
- iNaturalist, Staphylea trifolia: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Staphylea trifolia (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Indiana: Indiana prohibited invasive terrestrial plants (312 IAC 18-3-25).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Staphylea trifolia (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: Roseanna Denton via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.