California Bladderpod Seeds|Peritoma arborea|California Native Wildflowers| Southwestern|Native plants|Native Seeds|Desert|Gardening|Organic

Bladder Pod is a species of the Caper family also known by the common names burrofat, and California Cleome. It is native to California (primarily southern) and Baja California where it grows in a variety of habitats from coastal bluffs to desert arroyos. It is a densely branching shrub reaching one half to two meters in height. Its leaves are made up of three equal leaf-like leaflets, each a long, pointed oval one to four centimeters long. The plant produces abundant flower clusters at the ends of the stem branches, each a cluster of bright yellow flowers. Each flower has usually four petals and six whiskery protruding stamens with curling tips holding the anthers. At the middle is a long, protruding style which holds the developing fruit at its tip. The fruit is an inflated capsule about 4 centimeters long. It is edible. It is smooth and green when new, aging to light brown. A typical flower cluster bears a number of unopened flower buds at its tip, open flowers proximal to the buds, and maturing fruits which have shed their flowers below these.

Bladderpod is one of the easiest California natives to grow in landscape applications. It tolerates weekly summer water but can also get by with only natural rainfall. They are easy to grow from seeds, usually growing in a year to 3 feet tall. The readily self seed, and once you have a few mature plants in your garden, expect new seedlings to pop up each winter. This tough plant grows well even on south-facing slopes, alkaline soils and salty conditions. The flowers are beautiful, bright yellow, and stay on the plant most of the year, and attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds and it is highly fragrant. Packet will contain 15 seeds.