Colutea arborescens

Bladder-senna is in the pea or Fabaceae family and is native to Europe and North Africa, but is known on other continents as well as an ornamental plant. It is a vigorous shrub to 3 m and takes a rounded form.

• The deciduous pinnate leaves are grey-green and made up of many pairs of slightly hairy oval-shaped leaflets, each up to about 3 cm long.
• Flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and form short auxiliary racemes of pea-like yellow flowers in summer (from July to August).
• The bladder-like pods, to 8 cm long, are tinged with red and make a conspicuous feature.