Tuesday, October 08, 2002

Invasive or Not?

Seems like the jury is still out on Bladder Senna (Colutea arborescens). It's not listed as invasive in the USDA PLANTS database, but it is on this invasive list from the Plant Conservation Alliance, and in this weed gallery from Boulder, Colorado. Meanwhile, this Mediterranean legume can be found in a third of all U.S. states, where it is planted as an ornamental. I recently found a tree of this species growing by Wollaston Beach in Quincy, Massachusetts, and there were at least a dozen of its offspring (presumably) growing nearby. Photos are below. If this species is naturalized where you live, let me know.

Bladder senna flowers and seed podBladder senna seedlings
Flowers and distinctive puffy seed podBladder senna seedlings established about 20 ft away from flowering tree

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