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| ## bladderpod {#bladderpod .Title-Header}                             |
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| *Cleome isomeris* Greene                                              |
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| Plant Symbol = CLIS                                                   |
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Contributed by: USDA NRCS California State Office and Lockeford Plant
Materials Center, California

![](media/image5.jpeg){width="2.6680555555555556in"
height="1.979861111111111in"}

**Alternate name**

Bladderpod spiderflower

##### Uses {#uses .Header-3}

*Wildlife*: It serves as a good wildlife plant for upland game,
especially quail. It does provide some escape cover and shade for
loafing areas and is a source of food. The pea-like seeds are taken
readily by a variety of game and song birds.

*Ethnobotanical Uses*: The Diegueno Indians used the seeds and flowers
for food.

#####  {#section .Header-3}

##### Status {#status .Header-3}

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural
Resources for this plant's current status (e.g. threatened or endangered
species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).

##### Description {#description .Header-3}

Caper Family (Capparaceae). Bladderpod is a native, erect, round, shrub
four to six feet high and at least as wide. The leaves are alternate and
trifoliate. The flowers, which are yellow with six stamens, bloom much
of the year and are quite attractive. The seed pods are large, inflated
and pendulous with only a few hard, smooth seeds with a prominent end
curved.

**Distribution**

Bladderpod often grows in disturbed areas, and also on coastal bluffs,
hills and desert washes. The shrub's native distribution is southern
California, Baja California, and Arizona from 200 to 3,000 feet in
elevation. For current distribution, please consult the Plant Profile
page for this species on the PLANTS Web site.

**Adaptation**

This native plant is a desert type. In California, it occurs in San Luis
Obispo County and in much of lower California, and in the vicinity of
Tehachapi, as well as western Fresno and eastern Monterey counties. In
the Bakersfield and Tehachapi regions, it can be found to an elevation
of 4,000 feet. In cultivated plantings, it has been grown as far north
as southern Butte County. It has a wide range of temperature tolerance
from below freezing to over 100 degrees F. It is very drought tolerant.
Little is known at this time about its adaptation to soils below a pH of
6.

##### Establishment {#establishment .Header-3}

The large seed germinates readily. It requires no treatment before
planting. It may be direct seeded on a prepared seed bed in the fall to
early spring at a rate of one pound of seed per acre. It should be
planted no deeper than one inch. Direct seeding becomes progressively
less successful as one moves north, because of competition from annual
grasses.

For best results with small plantings, the seed should be propagated in
flats and the seedlings should be transplanted to gallon cans. Seedlings
can be transplanted to the field in either the spring or fall.

##### Management {#management .Header-3}

This shrub requires good weed control measures, such as hoeing,
cultivating, and chemical control during the establishment period.
Elimination of all weed competition on the planting site prior to direct
seeding is essential for good stand establishment. Normally, the spring
rains are sufficient to establish seedlings when directly seeded on deep
soils. Potted plants will normally require some summer water depending
on the locality.

There is some difference of opinion as to whether bladderpod is
susceptible to livestock damage. Generally, damage occurs only when
animals are forced onto it by a lack of preferred feed.

#####  {#section-1 .Header-3}

##### Pests and Potential Problems {#pests-and-potential-problems .Header-3}

##### This shrub must have good weed control measures such as hoeing, cultivation, or by chemical control.  {#this-shrub-must-have-good-weed-control-measures-such-as-hoeing-cultivation-or-by-chemical-control. .Header-3}

#####  {#section-2 .Header-3}

**Seeds and Plant Production**

##### Seed may be collected easily from wild plants by stripping pods from plants and extracting seed. A limited amount of seed is normally available from the California Department of Fish and Game for wildlife plantings. Seed is also available from commercial seed collectors.  {#seed-may-be-collected-easily-from-wild-plants-by-stripping-pods-from-plants-and-extracting-seed.-a-limited-amount-of-seed-is-normally-available-from-the-california-department-of-fish-and-game-for-wildlife-plantings.-seed-is-also-available-from-commercial-seed-collectors. .Header-3}

##### Cultivars, Improved, and Selected Materials (and area of origin) {#cultivars-improved-and-selected-materials-and-area-of-origin .Header-3}

'Dorado' Cultivar- Dorado grows naturally on the desert soils and
prefers a pH of 6.5 or higher. It is best adapted to the southern part
of California up to elevations of 1,220m (4,000 feet), but several
successful plantings have been made in the central and northern part of
Sacramento Valley.

Dorado has shown excellent performance as a conservation plant on
critical areas, upland game cover and food, and for environmental
enhancement on deep to moderately deep, medium to finely textured soils
that are well-drained.

##### References {#references .Header-3}

##### California Department of Fish and Game/US Soil Conservation Service. 1976. '*Bladderpod'* wildlife habitat leaflet no*.* 2*.* Compiled by Federal Aid Project W-47-R and Upland Game Investigation.  {#california-department-of-fish-and-gameus-soil-conservation-service.-1976.-bladderpod-wildlife-habitat-leaflet-no.-2.-compiled-by-federal-aid-project-w-47-r-and-upland-game-investigation. .Header-3}

#####  {#section-3 .Header-3}

##### USDA NRCS. *Notice of Release of 'Dorado' Bladderpod*. Davis, California {#usda-nrcs.-notice-of-release-of-dorado-bladderpod.-davis-california .Header-3}

#####  {#section-4 .Header-3}

##### Mielke, Judy. 1993. *Native plants for southwestern landscapes*. University of Texas Press. {#mielke-judy.-1993.-native-plants-for-southwestern-landscapes.-university-of-texas-press. .Header-3}

#####  {#section-5 .Header-3}

##### Dole, J.W. and B. Rose. 1996. *Shrubs and trees of the Southern California deserts.* Foot-Loose Press, North Hills, California. {#dole-j.w.-and-b.-rose.-1996.-shrubs-and-trees-of-the-southern-california-deserts.-foot-loose-press-north-hills-california. .Header-3}

#####  {#section-6 .Header-3}

##### Hinton, L. 1975. Notes on La Huerta Diegueno Ethnobotany. *Journal of California Anthropology* 2:214-222 (p. 217). {#hinton-l.-1975.-notes-on-la-huerta-diegueno-ethnobotany.-journal-of-california-anthropology-2214-222-p.-217. .Header-3}

#####  {#section-7 .Header-3}

##### Prepared By:  {#prepared-by .Header-3}

Dave Dyer, USDA NRCS Plant Materials Center, Lockeford, and Reina
O'Beck. California State Office, Davis, California.

##### Species Coordinator:  {#species-coordinator .Header-3}

Dave Dyer, USDA NRCS Plant Materials Center, Lockeford, California.

##### Edited: 28Mar2005 ro; 23sep05 jsp {#edited-28mar2005-ro-23sep05-jsp .Header-4}

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your
local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS
Web site\<[http://plants.usda.gov](http://plants.usda.gov/)\> or the
Plant Materials Program Web site
\<[http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov](http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov/)\>

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Civil Rights, Room 326W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue,
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