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Bladder Senna Wikimedia Commons
Fabaceae

Bladder Senna

Colutea arborescens

Frivolity and lightheartedness.

Family
Fabaceae
Genus
Colutea
Native to
Southern Europe, Mediterranean
Bloom season
Spring, Summer
Type
shrub
Height
6-12 ft
Sunlight
full sun
Soil
Well-drained, tolerates poor soil
Water
low
Hardiness
5-8
Lifespan
perennial

Did you know

  • The inflated seed pods pop when squeezed, delighting children for centuries.
  • It was one of the first New World shrubs cultivated in European gardens in the 1500s.
  • The leaves were historically used as a substitute for true senna as a mild laxative.
  • Bladder senna can fix nitrogen in the soil through symbiotic root bacteria.
  • The plant thrives on disturbed, rocky ground where most other shrubs cannot survive.

Color meanings

0

playfulness

1

carefree spirit

Uses

  • ornamental gardens
  • erosion control
  • traditional medicine