The Bladderpod

Bladderpod (Peritoma arborea) are strikingly unique flowering shrubs in the caper family. They are indegenous to California, particularly southern California, Baja California, and northwestern New Mexico, but its ability to withstand both coastal and desert temperatures and habitats allows it to grow almost anywhere. This plant gets its common name due to the fact that it has a green pod or fruit that hangs from the flower. The green leather pod can be seen in the picture on the below, hanging from a cluster of bloomed yellow flowers.

This shrub can grow up to 2 meters in height and produces striking yellow clusters of flowers as seen in the picture.

When in bloom, each flower has four petals and about six protruding stamens with anthers attached at the tip, which houses the pollen of the plant. In addition to this, protruding from the middle of the flower is the style from which the greed pod or fruit is attached. The contents of this pod are seeds of the plant which is actually edible! The conspicuous sexual organs of the plant make it incredibly easy for pollinators to access the pollen and pollinate the plant.

As stated previously, this shrub is capable of withstanding various temperatures, making it a perfect addition to any garden. In addition, it does not need much water, making it somewhat drought resistant.

The flowers of this shrub are beautiful and bright and stay open most of the year. In terms of pollinators, these flowers are highly fragrant attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Planting this shrub is both beneficial for the environment and the ecosystem as it does not require much water and fosters pollination, making it an excellent addition to any home garden.