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How to plant wisteria vine


How to Grow Wisteria | Garden Design

A gardener’s guide to planting & caring for a wisteria vine By Anne Balogh

Brimming with clusters of fragrant flowers in spring, the showstopping wisteria vine is loved by many gardeners despite its assertive reputation. An extremely vigorous grower, this perennial can get out of hand easily unless carefully restrained. Here are some tips for cultivating all wisteria has to offer while taming its aggressive growth habits.

To see other flowering vine options, check out our list of 21 Flowering Vines.

TRAINING WISTERIA: TRELLISES, PERGOLAS & OTHER SUPPORT STRUCTURES

Wisteria requires a sturdy support structure, such as this well-built pergola.

With its climbing agility and fast growth habits, wisteria can completely transform a garden in just a few years, becoming a breathtaking shade cover, privacy screen, or focal point. Wisteria has the greatest impact when trained to grow on pergolas, arbors, and other strong overhanging supports so the long flower clusters can hang freely, creating a stunning floral canopy. In Japan, wisteria is even trained onto massive trellises to form blooming tunnels in spring. You can also train wisteria onto wires mounted on fences or stone walls or drape them over garden benches or arched entryways.

Although you may be tempted to let wisteria twine around the trunk of a tree, its vice-like grip will eventually strangle it. To achieve a similar effect, you can train wisteria as a single-trunk, free-standing tree by staking the thick woody stem of the plant to a sturdy post or 4-by-4 embedded securely in the ground. As the plant grows, remove all unwanted growth along the trunk, allowing only the top to grow. Using the same techniques on a smaller scale, wisteria can be grown in large pots or as a bonsai tree.

Whatever trellising method you use, make sure the system is sturdy. Wisterias will readily topple weak wooden trellises, so use durable materials such as heavy metal pipe set in concrete or pressure-treated or rot-resistant wood beams. Also avoid growing the vines alongside your house, because they can creep under siding and wrap around gutters.

Keep in mind that once wisteria becomes well-established, it can be very difficult if not impossible to move later. Choose your planting location and design intent carefully, because you may not be able to change your mind later.

HOW TO GET YOUR WISTERIA TO BLOOM

Be patient, a newly planted wisteria may take several years to mature before it begins flowering.

Gardeners are often devastated when their wisteria fails to bloom the first season after planting. With young plants, be patient. Wisteria takes several years to mature and become established before it begins flowering with gusto. However, a lack of flowering can also be attributed to other factors, such as too much fertilizer, improper pruning, injury to the flower buds by frost exposure, or too much shade. Here are some tips from Toronto Master Gardeners for guaranteeing a profusion of blooms:

Here are some of the most popular wisteria cultivars:

Swipe to view slides

Photo by: Müller/ McPhoto / Alamy Stock Photo.

Wisteria floribunda ‘Rosea'

Soft pink 13- to 16-inch flower clusters tinged with lavender. Grows more slowly than other cultivars (2 to 3 feet per year), making it a good choice for smaller gardens.

Zones: 5-9

Photo by: Garden World Images Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo.

Wisteria floribunda ‘Snow Showers’

Pure white, pea-like flowers give the impression of snow falling in springtime. Very fragrant.

Zones: 5-9

Photo by: nnattalli / Shutterstock.

Wisteria floribunda 'Longissima Alba'

Very fragrant white wisteria with dense flower clusters up to 20 inches long.

Zones: 4-9

Photo by: Tim Gainey / Alamy Stock Photo.

Wisteria floribunda 'Royal Purple'

Very fragrant white wisteria with dense flower clusters up to 20 inches long.

Zones: 4-9

Photo by: Garden World Images Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo.

Wisteria floribunda 'Violacea Plena'

Showy blue-violet double flowers that fade to pale lavender.

Zones: 5-9

Photo by: InfoFlowersPlants / Shutterstock.

Wisteria sinensis 'Alba'

Short clusters of fragrant, pure white, pea-like flowers.

Zones: 5-8

Photo by: Wiert Nieuman / Alamy Stock Photo.

Wisteria sinensis 'Prolific'

Noted for its prolific clusters of lilac-blue flowers. Typically begins blooming at an earlier age than other cultivars.

Zones: 5-8

Photo by: Garden World Images Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo.

Wisteria frutescens 'Amethyst Falls'

Blooms at an early age, often its first season, with lightly fragrant lilac-blue flowers. Blooms also arrive about two weeks later than other varieties, so the buds are rarely affected by a late frost.

Zones: 5-9

Photo by: Carl Boro / Millette Photomedia.

Wisteria frutescens 'Longwood Purple'

This American wisteria flowers later than Asian varieties, but can repeat bloom through September. Offers a remarkable display of grape-like flower clusters.

Zones: 5-9

Photo by: Jennifer Martin-Atkins / Millette Photomedia.

Wisteria macrostachya 'Aunt Dee'

Abundant 8- to 12-inch-long clusters of fragrant lilac-blue flowers on new growth. Blooms at an early age.

Zones: 4-9

Photo by: blickwinkel / Alamy Stock Photo.

Wisteria macrostachya ‘Blue Moon'

Produces foot-long clusters of lavender-blue flowers in spring, with repeat blooming throughout the growing season once established.

Zones: 3-9

Photo by: Paul S Drobot / Millette Photomedia.

Wisteria macrostachya 'Clara Mack'

A pure white flowering form of Kentucky wisteria with dark green foliage.

Zones: 3-9

Not pictured:

Wisteria floribunda 'Lawrence'
Pale violet-blue flowers. The 12- to-18-inch clusters are loaded with as many as 160 blooms, more than all other Japanese wisteria.
Zones: 5-9

Wisteria frutescens 'Nivea'
Densely packed white flower clusters only 6 inches long, creating a pinecone-like shape.
Zones: 5-9

WHERE TO BUY WISTERIA

American Meadows
Brushwood Nursery
Digging Dog Nursery
Fast Growing Trees Nursery
Monrovia
Nature Hills Nursery
Spring Hill Nurseries
Thompson & Morgan
Wayside Gardens
Wilson Bros Gardens

WISTERIA Q&A

How large can wisteria get?

Wisteria vines can grow to epic proportions, spreading 100 feet or more under ideal growing conditions. The world’s largest known wisteria, located in Sierra Madre, Calif., was planted in 1894 and covers more than one acre.

Why does wisteria make loud popping noises?

Wisteria is a member of the pea family (Fabaceae), and similar to sweet pea vines, it produces long (but poisonous) seedpods after the flowers fade. When the pods ripen and turn brown, they explode with enough force to eject the seeds far away from the parent plant. This is Mother Nature’s way of preventing the overcrowding of seedlings, so they can germinate and grow without competition.

How long will wisteria live?

Planting wisteria is a long-term commitment. If you put a plant in the ground now, it may still be blooming and growing a century later if left undisturbed. One of the oldest wisteria vines, located in Japan’s Ashikaga Flower Park, dates back to 1870.

READER QUESTIONS

Q: I love wisteria but am having a hard time with it here in Minnesota. It’s not making much progress up my wooden arbor. - James A. Reider, White Bear Lake, Minn.

A: Your wisteria is root-hardy, but all the top growth it puts on each year is killed by severe winter temperatures. No wonder it’s not getting anywhere on your arbor. The two most common wisterias are W. sinensis and W. floribunda; the latter is a bit hardier. Its flower clusters are longer and more fragrant, but if your plant has never flowered, the best way to tell which one you have is the manner in which it twines: clockwise for W. floribunda, counterclockwise for W. sinensis. If you find you are growing the less hardy species, you might give W. floribunda a whirl, or even better yet, the native W. macrostachya. You might also consider wrapping the new growth in burlap for a little extra protection. If swaddling it is out of the question, you may have to settle on another vine. Incidentally, I hope your arbor is made of strong, thick timber: wisteria’s anacondalike stems have brought down many a finely wrought Victorian porch and gazebo.     

Americans seem to have a strong distrust of vines; we grow them much less than other garden plants. It probably comes from a Freudian hang-up about lush, twining, probing shoots and tendrils or, more likely, our fear of the self-important, strangling imported thugs we see taking over in nature - porcelain berry, Hall’s honeysuckle, and kudzu. I’d like to see increased use of vines and more imaginative ways of growing them. Why not plant different vines at the base of your arbor and let them fight it out? You’ll have more interesting foliage shapes and textures and more flowers over a longer period of time. And, should some prove not as hardy or as vigorous as others, you won’t be left with a bare arbor. Why not be Darwinian and let the tough Minnesota winters weed out the weaklings?      

Try trumpet creeper — the plain red species (Campsis radicans), not the named varieties that are less hardy — for its deep-green foliage and wonderful junglelike red flowers in late summer. It’s vigorous and can climb up a wooden arbor unassisted. Native Dutchman’s pipe (Aristolochia macrophylla) is a gamble in hardiness, but give it a try. It’s rambunctious and casts a deep shade with its large, tropical-looking leaves. A hardy, fast-growing native whose foliage turns scarlet in the fall is Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia).

RELATED:
20 Fragrant Flowering Plants

How to grow wisteria: where to plant this flowering climber

(Image credit: Getty Images)

One of the most spellbinding plants for a garden, learn how to grow wisteria and you will enjoy the captivating blooms of this climber every year. 

With its long racemes of flowers that clothe walls or pergolas with their color and scent, wisteria is one of the best climbing plants. It is one of the most romantic plants to put on a floral show in late spring into summer, with blooms in white, pink, mauve, blue, and purple; some are strongly scented, while others only have a light fragrance, and vary in their vigor and in the length of their racemes. As a fast growing flowering vine, wisteria must, however, be kept in check to ensure that it doesn't swamp a wall of a house or block pipes and gutters, so you need to know how to prune wisteria to keep it controlled and looking its best.  The thick and woody stems will soon bend pipes, strangle trees, and possibly even disturb a house's foundations.

Treated with care, though, wisteria is one of the best flowering climbers you can grow and will last for many, many years. The hanging tails of pea-like blooms can clothe the front of a house to enhance its curb appeal and send their delicious perfume through open windows, or it can scramble over pergolas or smother backyard garden walls with its beautiful spring flowers.

Because some species have become invasive in part of the US, it’s important to learn about these very beautiful plants and how to grow wisteria to contain their vigor before planting them. 

How to grow wisteria – the different varieties

(Image credit: Unsplash; Misty Ladd)

‘Wisteria is a long-lived, woody vine that is a quintessential plant of many classic garden designs,’ says Maryland-based landscape architect and designer Kirsten Coffen . ‘But it’s an aggressive, fast grower that requires substantial pruning in late winter to keep it in in check.’ 

Before we begin the practical instructions on how to grow wisteria, let's talk which wisteria to plant.

Always purchase wisterias that are grafted (grown on rootstock) and come from a reputable supplier. 

Forms of Chinese wisteria (W. sinensis) and silky wisteria (W. brachybotrys) are suitable for garden wall ideas and houses; whereas the Japanese wisteria (W. floribunda) is better for covering pergola ideas, where its very long racemes will not be covered by foliage. 

Of the Japanese forms, ’Yae-kokuryu’ is a traditional purple variety; ‘Shiro-noda’ is an elegant white; the pink ‘Hon-beni’ would be at home in a cottage garden scheme; and the very long (up to 4ft/1.2m) racemes of ‘Kyushaku’ are white and violet. 

If you live in one of the US states where W. sinensis or W. floribunda have become invasive plants (such as Virginia or North Carolina), it’s not advised to grow them or their more vigorous cultivars, unless you are prepared to keep them in careful check with pruning. 

Instead, when looking at how to grow wisteria, choose one of the less aggressive cultivars, such as the beautiful white ‘Jako’, or opt for an American wisteria, such as W. frutescens ’Amethyst Falls’, which won’t strangle forests if it escapes from your garden. Other relatively compact options include W. frutescens var. macrostachya ‘Blue Moon’ and ‘Aunt Dee’, which both smell of sweet peas. 

‘I have found success using the American native form of wisteria (W. frutescens 'Amethyst Falls'),’ says Connecticut-based landscape-designer Donna Christensen . ‘It is not as aggressive as the Chinese or Japanese forms. The fragrant purple flowers are a bit smaller and slightly tighter. However, I find it to bloom longer, and it is less inclined to take over. I use it where I want a soft sweep of fragrance and color over a mid-size arbor. It also blooms a little later than the Asian forms and sends out fewer runners. I have combined it with Asian varieties on a larger pergola for an extended bloom period, too.’ 

Thankfully, in many parts of the US and in the UK, wisteria is not an invading pest and easy to manage. 

(Image credit: Alamy)

When to plant wisteria

The exact time to plant wisteria may differ depending on the hardiness zone where you live, but in many areas you will be looking to plant it between October and April, on a day when the ground is not frozen or waterlogged. This might be at the same time as you're planting climbing roses and other bare root plants.

Where is the best place to plant wisteria?

The best place to plant wisteria is where it can scramble up a support and its fragrant flowers can be enjoyed to the full.

‘Its beautiful spring-blooming cascade of purple, or white, fragrant flowers is best viewed when trained on a support, such as a sturdy pergola,’ says Kirsten Coffen. 

Such a leafy, flowery canopy provides blissful shade in the heat of summer and is an ideal pergola shade idea. ‘We plant wisteria on rooftops in the city, training it to cover pergolas in order to provide shade,’ says Irene Kalina-Jones, landscape designer at Outside Space NYC in New York City. ‘But I also like it grown against buildings.’ 

It's best to grow wisteria in a sheltered site in full sun, such as a south or west-facing facade. The soil must be fertile and well-drained, so dig in plenty of organic matter, such as homemade compost upon planting.  

If growing wisteria up a wall or the front of a house as a front garden wall idea, take the time to erect a sturdy frame for the wisteria to climb – potentially, over many decades. Wooden trellis can rot, so a tensioning system of wires is arguably better. The wires must tighten themselves as the plant puts on weight or be easy for you to tighten – via turnbuckles, for instance.

(Image credit: Bridget Pierson)

What is the best way to grow wisteria?

For how to grow wisteria successfully, follow these step by steps to start it off well. The method is that for planting bare root trees and shrubs:

1. Soak the wisteria

Soak the wisteria for an hour before planting by sitting the base of the pot in water. 

2. Dig a hole of the correct size

While the wisteria is soaking, dig a hole at least 3ft (90cm) away from the wall it is going to climb. The hole ought to be 2-3 times wider than the wisteria’s container. 

3. Loosen the soil, add compost

Loosen the soil at the bottom of the hole well with a fork, and dig in organic matter, such as compost.  

4. Position the wisteria

Check the position of the graft – the bulbous union between the roots and the main stem – is above the ground. 

5. Plant the wisteria

Backfill with soil, and firm in to prevent air pockets. Then, water in. 

How to grow wisteria in containers

If you're wondering how to grow wisteria in a small garden, ’it is possible to plant wisteria in a pot,’ says California-based garden designer Laura Morton . ‘I provide some support, like bamboo canes, and prune hard. I select the best 3-4 vines to establish structure and secure them into place with the stakes (say one at 1 o’clock another at 5, and another at 10). Then they get pruned to 2-4 foot. Over time I prune lateral 'streamers' to 3-5 buds (because that’s where they bloom in year 2) and remove suckers from the base.’

Grown in a pot, it is easier to keep a wisteria under control.

(Image credit: Julia Currie)

How do you train wisteria to climb?

Wisteria may be the queen of climbers as a vertical garden idea, but a queen can rule with an iron fist. Don’t be fooled by the cascade of softness: wisterias will swallow your house whole, if you let them.

Staring up at a mature wisteria in full bloom, it resembles a purple waterfall flowing over the front of the house. These plants are beautiful, mighty beasts that require twice yearly pruning to keep them in check. It’s worth going to see a sizeable old wisteria – such as those in Sierra Madre, California and Knole in Kent, England – both for the delight of seeing them, but also to realise their vigor. 

‘I love wisteria for the fat buds in spring and the voluptuous scented cascades that follow, but it must be wrangled so as not to overwhelm,’ warns Laura Morton. ‘I often anchor individual vines to a wall to create a tracery in a pattern. This makes it easier to keep under control.’ The tracery will also stand out and look striking in winter. 

Allow a new, young wisteria to climb to the top of the structure or wall you intend it to flower upon. Then begin to prune and tie in strong side stems horizontally, which will eventually create a whole wall of flowers, rather than just a mass of flowers at the top. It’s best to tie with flexible tubing ties that stretch as the plant grows, and to repeatedly untie and retie stems to prevent them becoming attached to the wires. 

‘Since wisteria requires regular pruning, my main advice to those looking for a low-maintenance garden is: do not plant wisteria,’ says Irene Kalina-Jones, landscape designer at Outside Space NYC. ‘Only plant it if you have time to prune it and if you are a gardener or are prepared to hire someone to do it for you. If it isn’t pruned twice a year, it is a pest. I’ve taken enough of them out of back yards where they have escaped and turned into a nuisance, due to a lack of pruning.’

How long does it take for a wisteria to flower?

A baby wisteria may not flower for a few years after planting. To care for young wisteria plants and to ensure flowering, water them regularly and generously during their first two seasons, especially in drought or if the ground where they are planted is dry. Feed every spring with a general-purpose fertiliser until established, but never over-feed.  

(Image credit: Future / Catherine Gratwicke)

How long does wisteria take to grow?

Wisteria are quick to grow – growing up to 10 feet or more a year.  This makes them a wonderful choice when you are looking for garden privacy ideas or garden shade ideas, as they will be in full leaf throughout the summer months. However, it also means that you have to be vigilant about pruning if you don't want them to take over your back yard or the outside of your house.

What does wisteria look like in winter?

True wisteria are deciduous, so will lose their leaves during the colder months. They are at their peak in spring and summer, when clothed in foliage and flowers, but once established, the thick woody stems of wisteria can still add interest to walls and structures even during fall and winter.

Lucy Searle has written about interiors, property and gardens since 1990, working her way around the interiors departments of women's magazines before switching to interiors-only titles in the mid-nineties. She was Associate Editor on Ideal Home, and Launch Editor of 4Homes magazine, before moving into digital in 2007, launching Channel 4's flagship website, Channel4.com/4homes. In 2018, Lucy took on the role of Global Editor in Chief for Realhomes.com, taking the site from a small magazine add-on to a global success. She was asked to repeat that success at Homes & Gardens, where she has also taken on the editorship of the magazine. 

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    • Flowers GLICANIS (Greek Glicinia - Sweet) , or Wisteria , belong to the genus of the tree -growing plants, growing. subtropical areas and attracting attention with their fragrant, hanging purple inflorescences. The Latin name "Wisteria" was given to the wisteria flower in honor of Caspar Wistar, professor of anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania. Known 9species of the genus wisteria, but as horticultural crops, only Chinese wisteria and Japanese wisteria, or profusely flowering, are grown.

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    Planting and caring for wisteria

    Read more about the cultivation of wisteria below

    Botanical description

    The wisteria plant in nature is a woody deciduous vine with drooping branches, reaching 15-18 meters in height. The leaves of wisteria are imparipinnate, pubescent when young, up to 30 cm long, with the number of leaves from 7 to 13. Fragrant purple, lilac or white flowers are collected in drooping brushes up to 30 cm long. Wisteria blooms in spring, at the end of March and can bloom throughout the summer. nine0007

    The wisteria tree is in great demand in landscape design, it is grown in various forms - both as a liana wrapping around the walls of an arbor or a fence frame, and as a standard tree. Wisteria is also grown at home in a container way in the form of a tree, but still homemade wisteria is not as common as garden wisteria, so let's talk about growing wisteria in the garden.

    Growing wisteria from seeds

    Growing conditions

    Wisteria seeds are planted in late November or early December. Wisteria seeds are sown on the surface of a soil mixture consisting of leafy soil (four parts), soddy soil and sand (one part each), sprinkled with a thin layer of sand on top, sprayed with water from a spray bottle and, having covered the container with glass to create a greenhouse effect, put in a dark warm (22-25 ºС) place, keeping the soil slightly moist all the time. Wisteria sprouts from seeds in 3-4 weeks, and after another week and a half, it will be possible to transfer seedlings to the light by organizing protection from direct sunlight. nine0007

    When the seedlings have two leaves, they are dived into separate containers together with a clod of earth on the roots and watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

    Care of seedlings

    Seedlings dived into individual containers must be accustomed to the environment in which they will live. To do this, they need to be taken out for a couple of hours a day to an unheated part of the house or kept under an ajar window, provided that there is no draft in the room.

    Wisteria seeds can be sown directly into open ground in early spring, then seedlings grow adapted to the environment and subsequently delight with their endurance. nine0007

    Planting wisteria

    When to plant

    Plant wisteria in the spring after the last frost has passed. All types of garden wisteria are cold-resistant, but it is better not to expose young plants to the risk of frostbite. Before planting wisteria, it is necessary to determine in which area it will grow better - wisteria is not an annual, and if you are interested in the quality of flowering, then keep in mind that it should be in the sun for half a day, so choose the most sunny and protected from gusts of wind, the soil is nutritious, well-drained and slightly alkaline. nine0007

    How to plant

    Wisteria seedlings are transplanted into pits 60x60x50 cm in size, having previously applied mineral fertilizers to the soil in the area for digging at the rate of 25-30 g per square meter of planting area. Be prepared for the fact that wisteria will not show signs of life for some time - it grows for a long time, and in the first years it forms only long thin shoots. In general, you can see beautiful flowers of wisteria grown from seeds only after 4-5, or even after 10 years. nine0007

    Care of wisteria in the garden

    Care instructions

    From spring to late summer, wisteria requires moderate watering so that the soil under it is always slightly moist, but never wet. If the spring is without rain, then you will have to water more diligently, because the buds may crumble, and you will not see the flowers for which the plant was planted. From mid-September, watering is gradually reduced. nine0007

    In order for wisteria to bloom on time and abundantly, it is fed once a week during the active growing season, alternating liquid mineral fertilizers (Kemira-lux, for example) with organic ones (mullein infusion in a ratio of 1:20). It is useful to pour wisteria with chalk water once a season (100 g of chalk per bucket of water). When the flowers begin to fade, remove the faded inflorescences. In addition, you will have to cut dry branches, tie up and guide the shoots so that they do not fall and grow in the right direction.

    Before the onset of winter, you need to spud the rosette high, remove the vine from the supports and lay it on the near-trunk circle, as is done with climbing roses, preparing them for wintering, and then sprinkle with dry leaves and cover with spunbond or lutrasil. You can not do all this, but if there is no snow in winter, the wisteria may freeze.

    Flowering

    When does wisteria bloom? Chinese wisteria blooms at the age of three, Japanese - at the age of ten, so wisteria is a plant for those who know how to wait. Chinese wisteria blooms from April, with all buds opening at the same time. Wisteria blooms profusely from May to June. Make sure that there is no excess nitrogen in the soil, otherwise the wisteria will grow green, but will not bloom. nine0007

    Pruning

    Pruning wisteria to stimulate flowering and to form the plant. To form a standard tree, one strong shoot is chosen, and the rest are removed. If you grow wisteria as a climbing plant, then it is advisable to remove the abundantly growing side shoots so that wisteria does not expend energy on overgrowing greens, but directs them to the formation of buds.

    Pruning wisteria in spring consists of removing young shoots sticking out so that their foliage does not hide flower clusters from view during flowering. In addition, a young lateral annual branch of wisteria can produce an inflorescence this year only if you shorten it to 30 cm.

    Formative pruning of the plant is carried out in summer: lateral shoots are cut off by 20-40 cm, and at the very end of summer by another 10-20 cm. However, try not to get carried away with the process, otherwise you may deprive yourself of the pleasure of seeing the lush flowering of wisteria.

    Propagation of wisteria

    We have already described in this article the propagation of wisteria by seed. It is worth adding that many of the germinated and even grown seedlings may never produce flowers - no one knows why this happens. But we have repeatedly told readers that propagation by seeds is unreliable and it is much better to use vegetative methods of reproduction. nine0007

    Wisteria is most easily propagated by layering. To do this, in the spring, an annual shoot is selected, an oblique incision is made in the middle of its length, the shoot is bent and placed with an incision on a pot with a clay-soddy substrate, the outlet is fixed in this position and added dropwise, leaving the top of the shoot free. It will be possible to separate the rooted cuttings from the mother plant only next spring.

    In various publications they write that it is possible to propagate wisteria by cuttings or grafting on the roots, but I don’t know anyone who actually succeeded in this, but my layering took root. nine0007

    Pests and diseases

    Wisteria is sometimes attacked by aphids or clover mites. Aphids are destroyed by an insecticide, and mites by an acaricidal preparation. If wisteria grows in alkaline soil, it can be affected by chlorosis, from which its leaves turn yellow. In the fight against the disease, root dressing of wisteria with iron salts is used.

    Species and varieties

    Chinese wisteria (Wisteria chinensis)

    Dense leafy liana up to 15-20 m in height. The leaves are pinnate, large, at first pubescent, but eventually becoming smooth. Flowers in loose racemes up to 30 cm long, light lilac. The fruit is a bean up to 15 cm long. This species has a garden form with white flowers (f. alba) and a form with double flowers (f. plena). nine0007

    Wisteria profusely flowering, or multi-flowered (Wisteria floribunda)

    It is also colloquially “Japanese”, because it comes from the Japanese islands - it differs from Chinese in smaller sizes (only 8-10 m in length), larger leaves up to 40 cm in length and the number of leaves up to 19, a large number of inflorescences on the plant, as well as their larger sizes - up to 50 cm in length. The flowers themselves are smaller than those of Chinese wisteria, of a violet-blue hue, bloom gradually, starting from the base of the brush. This species is more cold-resistant than Chinese wisteria. There are garden forms with white, pink, purple double flowers and a variegated form with variegated leaves. nine0007

    In addition to these two most popular species, there are also beautiful wisteria (Wisteria venusta), shrub wisteria (Wisteria frutescens) and large wisteria (Wisteria macrostachys) in cultivation, on the basis of which Blue Moon wisteria was bred by American gardeners from Minnesota, capable of wintering in the garden even without cover.

    Literature

    1. Read related topics on Wikipedia
    2. Peculiarities and other plants of the legume family
    3. List of all species on The Plant List
    4. More information on World Flora Online


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    How to plant and grow wisteria

    Looking at the blooming wisteria during flowering, it seems that you are in a fairy garden. Probably it was she who grew along the paths in Wonderland, where Alice traveled. Compared to it, even Japanese sakura or Altai deer seem modest. For residents of the subtropics, this is a common plant. Guests of Transcarpathia, the Caucasus and the Crimea, who happened to see this amazing sight, longingly recall the blooming splendor and secretly dream of growing at least some kind of resemblance in their area or at home. The task is difficult, but solvable. nine0007

    Wisteria: species description

    Wisteria has a second name "Wisteria". This plant belongs to the legume family, in the first two or three years it has the form of a bush or a small tree, later a creeper. Over time, the shoots grow back, they need support. Flower stalks emerge from the buds in early spring. These are long hanging racemes with many buds that bloom into purple, light purple or white flowers. In different varieties, leaves appear during flowering or after wilting of the corollas. In total there can be two waves of flowering, the first, the most abundant - in the spring, and repeated in the fall. nine0007

    Basic requirements for growing wisteria

    When buying wisteria, you must remember that, like all beauties, it is picky and needs good care. It grows only on fertile land with a high content of organic matter. It needs full sun and frequent watering. Only under these conditions can you see magnificent flowering. When planting, it should be noted that the plant needs high support. An arch is ideal, inside which you can admire hanging flowers with a charming aroma. If it is possible to install a pergola, the plant will completely hide boring walls. nine0007

    Among the varieties of heat-loving wisteria, there are frost-resistant ones, the cultivation of which is possible much further north, of course, it will need winter shelter, but all the work will pay off with interest.


    Growing wisteria from seed

    This is the cheapest way, but it will take a lot of time to grow a large bush. The process is really slow and labor intensive. Wisteria sinensis produces seeds that germinate only in the dark. At home, wisteria is grown starting in November in mini-greenhouses. To do this, light fertile soil is poured into the tray, a mixture for cacti bought in a store is suitable, it is moistened and seeds are laid out on the surface. They are not embedded in the ground, but sprinkled with sand and covered with film or glass, cleaned in a dark place. nine0007

    Soil moisture must be monitored. Seeds hatch slowly, shoots can be expected only after a month. After the appearance of the first shoots, the trays are taken out to a room where there are no bright sunlight, the seedlings are gradually accustomed to sunlight. At the stage of two true leaves, they dive into personal pots, trying not to damage the roots.

    In open ground, sowing of wisteria is possible in March, when the soil warms up enough, shoots appear. At temperatures below 20 degrees, the seeds do not germinate. nine0007

    Propagation of wisteria by cuttings

    Early spring is the time for cuttings and their rooting. Only annual shoots are suitable for cutting, more precisely, their upper part is 25-30 cm long. An oblique cut is made with a sharp knife. The lower part of the cutting for 1-3 buds is added dropwise into a pot in nutrient soil. It is advisable to make a mixture: add one part of sand, peat and humus to three parts of soddy land. A greenhouse should be installed above the top of the cutting. So that the shelter does not touch the plant, a dry twig is stuck next to the cutting 5-10 cm above the cutting, which will also become a support for the young seedling. In autumn, young plants can be planted in a permanent place. nine0007

    Growing wisteria outdoors and at home

    Wisteria grown from seeds and ungrafted will only flower in a few years, so it is better to buy ready-made seedlings. We sell grown container plants that will quickly grow and begin to bloom.

    Wisteria is grown outdoors as a vine. For the lower tier at the foot of the plant, daffodils with bright yellow flowers, bright red and boiling white tulips are ideal. Their flowering time is the same. nine0007

    In containers or at home in large containers, wisteria is grown as a small standard tree. During the dormant period, the bush should be kept in a room with a temperature of 8-10 degrees, watering is limited. To give shape in early spring, formative pruning is carried out, shortening the side shoots to 2-3 buds, only after 3 weeks they begin active watering and take them out to a warm room. Later the container can be placed in the garden.

    Important! If the site has calcareous soil, planting wisteria will require a complete replacement of a large volume of soil with a light, slightly acidic or neutral one. nine0007


    Care of wisteria

    Proper care of wisteria guarantees luxurious flowering, plant health and good preservation in winter.

      1. Irrig. The soil under the bush should always be slightly moist. Moderate regular watering is a prerequisite in which the plant retains its decorative appearance. A long stagnation of water can result in the death of the plant. Drying out of the soil in the spring leads to the death of buds and flowers, in the summer to yellowing or falling of the leaves. nine0012
      2. Lighting. For wisteria, lighting is no less important than compliance with the rules of agricultural technology. At least half a day (5-7 hours) the sun should shine on the leaves, otherwise small inflorescences are formed, the shoots are drawn out.
      3. Top dressing. During the period of budding and flowering, the vine is fed every week. An ideal option would be a solution of complex fertilizers for flowering crops. Organic fertilizers are applied in autumn and early spring; peat-humic fertilizer is suitable for container bushes. nine0012
      4. Cutting. In open ground, wisteria is pruned twice a year. The first time immediately after flowering, all side shoots are shortened by 2/3 of the length, this stimulates branching. In autumn, after leaf fall, all new shoots are cut so that no more than 4 buds remain. It is from them that the buds will appear in the spring.
      5. Shelter. Wisteria is a delicate plant, it is better not to risk it. Even for frost-resistant varieties that can withstand up to -20 degrees, it is desirable to build a reliable shelter.

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