PlantFiles: Bladderpod, Bagpod
Sesbania vesicaria

Rice University's campus in Houston, TX has a large field which it allows to grow wild in order to provide a "natural" habitat for whatever varieties of plants and animals should happen to thrive there. Among the endless stands of sunflowers and clouds of mosquitos I found two specimens of this plant today in bloom. While some people claim this plant to be an invasive weed, it does not seem to have that characteristic here since this was my first encounter with the plant and compared to the endless volumes of grasses and Helianthus annus in the field, these two plants were drasticaly outnumbered. I actualy thought its red, orange and peach colored flowers were quite attractive dangling form their little stems and the seed pods certianly add some character. I knew I shouldn't damage the plant before maturity but since I'm not from the area originaly and had never seen a bladderpod I had to pick a pod and break it open to see if the seeds were really that bloated. Perhaps in cultivated areas of eastern Texas like a home garden or waste area this plant becomes invasive but in a place where it must compete with other "weeds" it seems to have a fairly conservative distribution.

This is a very nasty, invasive weed in coastal South Carolina.
Should be hand-weeded before seed set, since it can produce hundreds of seeds very quickly. Docturf

Sesbania vesicaria is Native to Texas and other States.
We have no problem with this plant in North Central Texas, in fact it is very rare.