This laterally suckering shrub occurs mostly in east-central states. In Ky. it is most common in mesic to subxeric forest on rocky calcareous slopes, where thickets are characteristic at steep mid- to low slope positions, mostly just below liestone clifflines. Staphylea does occur locally on other base-rich sites, but it is generally rare to absent in non-calcareous regions. Plants are generally 2-3 tall with stems no more than 1-2 cm dbh; but occasional plants at forest edges on stream terraces can reach 4-5 m tall with a few stems up to ca. 8 cm dbh. The species has a reputation for resistance to deer browsing (e.g. at https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info), but quantitative data are lacking. There is little published evidence that deer browse on this species (e.g. Atwood 1941), and it has a reputation for resistance (e.g. at llinoiswildflowers.info). However, B. Palmer-Ball (pers. comm.) has observed much reduction of plants by deer in JEFF. The chemistry of Staphylea in general includes diverse amino acid amides (Grove et al. 1973), megastigmane glycosides (Yu et al. 2005), flavones and polyphenols (Lacikova et al. 2009) with various physiological effects in mammals. Dispersal of the mysterious "bladder-nut" fruits and seeds in this genus remains poorly understood (Simmons 2007).