Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Shrubs

Colutea × media

orange bladder senna

A vigorous shrub to 3m, with an open, rounded habit. The pinnate leaves are grey-green, and the flowers rich yellow, tinged with coppery-orange. The bladder-like pods, to 8cm long, are tinged with red and make a conspicuous feature

Other common names

small bladder senna

Save to My plants

Ultimate height

2.5–4 metres

Time to ultimate height

10–20 years

Ultimate spread

2.5–4 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Drought resistance

Yes

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Fabaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Colutea are deciduous shrubs with pinnate leaves and short axillary racemes of pea-like yellow or deep orange flowers in summer, followed by translucent, inflated fruits
Name status: Correct

How to grow

Cultivation

Will grow in poor dry soil in exposed conditions, but likes full sun

Propagation

Propagate by seed in a cold frame in autumn or spring or propagate by greenwood cuttings in early summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Mediterranean climate plants
Low Maintenance

Pruning

Pruning group 1

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.