Colutea istria aka Bladder Senna

Colutea istria is also called Pocock's bladder senna. It belongs to Fabaceae, the pea family. This deciduous shrub sheds its leaves during the year. It grows to about 10 feet [3 metres] tall. Its native range stretches from southeastern Türkiye south to Sinai. Records also place it in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. Kew puts its native climate in the subtropical zone. In Israel, it grows among hard rock outcrops. It also grows in wadis within shrub-steppe there. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

Flowers form on the current year's growth from May to July. Each flower has both male and female organs. Bees carry pollen between the flowers. The plant can fix nitrogen and grow in nutrient-poor soil. The supplied evidence gives no more leaf or bark details for this species. It gives no details of its flower colour or fruit form.

Give this shrub full sun and soil that drains well. Plants For A Future also lists light shade as suitable. Sand, loam, and clay soils suit it if they drain well. Soil can be slightly acid, neutral, or slightly alkaline. The shrub can grow in dry or moist ground. Dry, sunny banks and poor soils make suitable planting sites. Reports differ on how well it copes with wind. This includes how well it copes with salt winds. A site with shelter is thus the more cautious choice.

Cold limits its use in British gardens. Plants For A Future reports survival down to about 23°F [-5°C]. It suggests planting outdoors in milder parts of Britain. There, it suggests a wall facing south or southwest. The same source lists USDA zones 6–9. Those zones conflict with the stated cold limit. Garden uses include hedges and sunny woodland edges. Negev land reclamation projects have used the shrub to trap soil. It also traps plant debris carried by floods in these projects.

Growing plants from seed can be slow and uneven. Soaking seeds or scarifying them can help them sprout. Scarifying means scuffing the seed coat. Treated seeds may sprout within one to three months at 68°F [20°C]. Keep young plants under glass through their first winter. Plant them outside once the risk of frost has passed. Half-ripe cuttings offer another way to grow this shrub. Plants grown this way may have short lives. Plants For A Future lists no known food or medicinal uses. It also lists no known hazards. This does not mean the plant is safe to eat.