Flower profile

Bladderpod

Cleomella arborea

Bladderpod is a flowering plant. In California it's most often seen in bloom in January–December.

–states

16,398CA sightings*

16,400U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: California

Quick look

Cleomella arborea is a perennial shrub or bush in the spiderflower family (Cleomaceae) known by the common names bladderpod, bladderpod spiderflower, and burro-fat. It grows up to 0.5 - 2 meters high. It stems are densely branching and covered in tiny hairs. Leaves are typically composed of three equal leaflets, 15-45mm long, oval to elliptic, and pointed.
From Wikipedia's article Cleomella arborea, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Cleomaceae family. ^iNaturalist
In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in January–December. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 16,398 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #41 among the 110 flowers on our California list. ^iNaturalist

Bladderpod gift ideas

Handmade bladderpod gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Bladderpod art print
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Bladderpod greeting card
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Bladderpod mug
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Bladderpod earrings
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Bladderpod embroidery pattern
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Bladderpod sticker
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When does it bloom?

In California, most flowering sightings come in January–December.

Flowering records by month in California (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (4,023 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe: Unknown We couldn't find this name in NatureServe Explorer. ^NatureServe
California: Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). ^{CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)}

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant)) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS has no state-by-state distribution for this name, so we can't map it yet.

More California flowers

California poppy

Eschscholzia californica

★ CA state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in CA: February–July

California buckwheat

Eriogonum fasciculatum

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: January–December

Toyon

Heteromeles arbutifolia

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: May–September

Sources

USDA PLANTS: no profile matched this name.
iNaturalist, Cleomella arborea: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Cleomella arborea (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Henrik Kibak via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.