Staphylea bumalda (Bumald bladdernut, "Mitsubautsugi")

Japanese name: ミツバウツギ （三葉空木）
Scientific name: Staphylea bumalda

[Overview]
A deciduous small tree 1.5–3 m tall, found at forest edges, in thickets, and in bright valleys.
The leaves are opposite and trifoliate.
At the fruiting stage the leaflets are ovate, 2.5–7 cm long and 1–3 cm wide, with a short, pointed, elongated tip.
The leaf margin has serrations ending in awn-like points.
At the fruiting stage the petiole is 1.5–4 cm long.
The leaves at flowering time are smaller than those at the fruiting stage.
Palmately compound leaves rarely appear on vigorous long shoots.
Panicles 5–8 cm long at the tips of lateral branches bear several to a dozen or so white 5-petaled flowers.
The fruit is a flat, balloon-like capsule 2–2.5 cm in diameter, divided into 2–3 forks at the top, with the style remaining at the tip.
When ripe, the fruit splits open and releases pale yellow, strongly glossy seeds.

[Uses]
The young leaves are used as a wild vegetable.
The fruit and roots are used medicinally.
The wood is used for chopsticks, skewers, and wooden pegs.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by cuttings.
It prefers well-drained, moderately moist soil in sun to partial shade.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless summer brings a spell of sunny weather and severe dryness.
Apply organic fertilizer in winter.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

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