{"id":249,"date":"2025-03-02T02:33:08","date_gmt":"2025-03-02T02:33:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hardyedibleplants.net\/blog\/?p=249"},"modified":"2025-03-13T01:01:16","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T01:01:16","slug":"bumalds-bladdernut-the-cauliflower-tree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardyedibleplants.net\/blog\/2025\/03\/02\/bumalds-bladdernut-the-cauliflower-tree\/","title":{"rendered":"Bumald’s Bladdernut – The Cauliflower Tree"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

My first exposure to Staphylea bumalda<\/em>, a species of Asian bladdernut shrub, was this ethnobotanical survey<\/a> of wild food plants utilized in a rural mountain village in central China. The so-called “Bumald’s bladdernut” caught my attention because it was not only one of the most commonly eaten wild vegetables there, but also the most popular wild vegetable served in restaurants. Bumald’s bladdernut leaves were more popular in restaurants than the leaves of the Chinese toon tree,Toona sinensis<\/em>, which are delicious and a revered wild food in China. The study features photos of bladdernut leaves being served as a vegetable side dish and dried in the sun for long-term storage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The survey area in central China where this story begins.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What exactly was this plant which was apparently so delicious? After consulting several botanical references, I learned that Staphylea bumalda<\/em> is a 6 foot (1.8 m) tall multi-stemmed shrub with attractive white flowers in the spring. It has a wide distribution in East Asia which includes China, Korea and Japan. The characteristic feature of the bladdernuts in the genus Staphylea <\/em>is their inflated seedpod (bladder) which contains small hard seeds (nuts). Being a bladdernut, Staphylea bumalda<\/em> is closely related to the American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia<\/em> and the European bladdernut Staphylea pinnata<\/em>, but differs from these other species in its smaller overall size. The plant can be grown in sun or shade in moist soils down to at least USDA zone 5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The flowers of Staphylea bumalda<\/em> as photographed by iNaturalist user Rob Macfie in South Korea.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Chinese name for the plant listed in the aforementioned study is \u6811\u82b1\u83dc, pronounced sh\u00f9 hu\u0101c\u00e0i – which translates to “tree cauliflower”. This name conjures fantastical images of its edible usage – who wouldn’t want to grow a cauliflower tree? The name refers to the small clusters of white flower buds which are harvested and eaten alongside the leaves in the spring. These flowerbud clusters are only a few inches long, but do resemble a tiny cauliflower or broccoli raab, despite being unrelated to either. The leaves and flowerbuds are generally eaten cooked, and can be used in a variety of cooked dishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You can see why they call it “tree cauliflower” in this photo by iNaturalist user onidiras.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In my opinion what sets this plant apart from others is the incredible flavor of the leaves and tiny “cauliflowers”. The plant has a strong flavor of sesame, as if the leaves were dipped in toasted sesame oil with a dash of black pepper. When I tried the leaves and flower buds for the first time I was very impressed by their flavor and chewy texture. I’ve tasted many unusual plants over the years and often they’re not terribly good. This was one I could easily eat a whole bowl of! On an established shrub the yield of edible leaves and “cauliflowers” can be tremendous. As referenced in the Chinese study, the leaves are also easily preserved by drying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A plate of young leaves and cauliflowers of Staphylea bumalda<\/em> just after harvesting.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When I consulted my Korean and Japanese foraging books I also found glowing reviews for the flavor: “The soft leaves have a refined taste without any bitter or peculiar flavor and are popular with people of all ages, from children to the elderly.” – high praise from a book that frequently recommends boiling plants multiple times to remove bitterness! I would later learn that a small industry is forming around the plant in rural China. Rural farmers are growing it in large numbers to sell to local restaurants and to export to cities. Because it is harvested in the spring before most crops are ready, it gives farmers a big financial boost going into the growing season. The recent surge in interest in wild foods and traditional Chinese medicine has only made it more successful. Unfortunately the best article I found on the subject has since been removed by its Chinese publisher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Boiled bladdernut leaves and flower buds with soy sauce for dipping.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My first time seeing one of these plants in person was in August of 2021 during a trip to the Polly Hill Arboretum<\/a> on Martha’s Vineyard. Staphylea bumalda<\/em> is an uncommon species in cultivation, but as luck would have it, the proprietors of the arboretum had collected seed of it during a 2007 expedition to Japan. The 14-year-old plants I witnessed had a similar habit and silver-gray bark as a serviceberry, (Amelanchier<\/em> species) but with leaves in threes and copious seed pods hanging on each bush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A multi-stemmed specimen of Staphylea bumalda<\/em> at the Polly Hill Arboretum.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The author with a Staphylea bumalda<\/em> seed pod.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While most bladdernuts have a more cylindrical “bladder” with 3 or more segments, Staphylea bumalda<\/em> has a flattened bladder with 2 lobes. This unique characteristic makes it easy to tell that you’ve got the right species. Each side of the bladder contains between 1 and 3 seeds about the size of a lentil – much smaller than the nuts of the American and European species. While the nuts of the larger bladdernuts can be shelled and eaten, the nuts of Staphylea bumalda<\/em> are far too small to be used for this purpose, though there is some evidence that they have been pressed for oil in China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Staphylea bumalda “bladders” (center) and “nuts” (top left).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I collected a large number of seeds from the bushes at the Polly Hill Arboretum during my visit, and upon returning home I attempted to germinate them. As it turns out, most bladdernut species are very difficult to grow from seed. Each individual seed has a hard and impermeable seed coat which inhibits germination. While the larger bladdernuts can be cracked or filed to open up the seed coat, Staphylea bumalda seeds are so small that attempting to crack or file them often results in the seeds being crushed. I failed in my first year trying to grow them, and so returned to the Polly Hill Arboretum the following year to collect more. Only after pretreating the seeds with concentrated sulfuric acid did I find some success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Success! Baby Staphylea bumalda<\/em> plants.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Out of the roughly 200 seeds that I collected, I only succeeded in getting exactly 2 to germinate! I wanted to grow at least 2 plants so that they could cross-pollinate, allowing me to one day collect seeds from my own garden. As you can imagine, I have since been protecting both plants with every ounce of my horticultural knowledge. I would say that they’re easily the most babied plants in my landscape! If you’re looking for seeds to try for yourself, there’s no longer any need to visit an obscure arboretum or botanical garden. Seeds are available online from Sheffield’s Seed<\/a> and occasionally on eBay<\/a>. I’ve ordered them from both sources and can at least confirm that they’re selling the right species, though I expect germination to be difficult from any source!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Staphylea bumalda at 1 year old.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The same plant at 2 years old.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After reading all of this, some of you may be wondering about the edible uses of the many other bladdernut species. In my opinion the young leaves of any Staphylea<\/em> is worth trying. The study mentioned at the start of this article also lists Staphylea holocarpa<\/em>, another Chinese species, as edible – though much less commonly used than S. bumalda<\/em>. Staphylea holocarpa<\/em> ‘Rosea’ is a noteworthy cultivar of this species with beautiful pink flowers. I’m growing it in my own garden but haven’t tasted it yet. Staphylea holocarpa<\/em> grows much taller than Staphylea bumalda<\/em>, so it may need to be pruned to keep the leaves within reach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The pink-tinged flowers of Staphylea holocarpa ‘Rosea’ are edible but perhaps too beautiful to eat!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The European bladdernut Staphylea pinnata<\/em> and the Caucasian bladdernut Staphylea colchica<\/em> can likely both be used in all the same ways, though I have less experience with them. I know the flowers are eaten pickled in some European countries. Staphylea pinnata<\/em> has the distinction of having the largest nuts of any bladdernut species, though they’re still quite small and difficult to crack. Martin Crawford at the Agroforestry Research Trust<\/a> has written about cracking and eating them. The nutmeat within the shell is green, similar to a pistachio. One other oddball in the bladdernut family is Euscaphis japonica<\/em>, the Korean sweetheart tree, a larger and less-hardy species famous for its attractive red seed pods in the fall. I’ve sampled the young leaves of this species, which are listed as edible in many reputable sources, but found them tough and undesirable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The young leaves of Euscaphis japonica<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The red seed pods of Euscaphis japonica<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Curiously, I’ve been unable to find any ethnobotanical record of the American bladdernut, Staphylea trifolia<\/em>, being eaten. Despite its large range throughout the eastern United States, it doesn’t seem that it was utilized much by Native Americans. The species is also not listed in any of the comprehensive American foraging books in my collection. For this reason I’ve taken it upon myself to taste test the young leaves and flowerbuds. When I tried them boiled I found them to be mild and agreeable but missing the delicious sesame flavor found in Staphylea bumalda<\/em>. I’ve since eaten a large quantity of the leaves with no ill effects and met others who have tried them too. I would encourage anyone curious to give them a shot. Staphylea trifolia<\/em> deserves to be more widely planted anyway – it’s a highly adaptable species with attractive flowers and curious striped bark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The young leaves of American bladdernut at harvest time in mid-April.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The pendulous flowers of American bladdernut in May.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I hope you’ve enjoyed this deep dive into the relatively unexplored culinary properties of the bladdernuts. I’m hoping that more people will learn about the incredible edible uses of these plants, and I’d especially like to see them become more widely available in the nursery trade. Let me know if you’ve tried them and what you think! Here’s to bountiful harvests of tree cauliflower!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A specimen of Staphylea bumalda<\/em> growing at the Cornell Botanic Gardens in Ithaca, NY.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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