Wisteria is a fantastic flowering plant native to Japan, China, Korea, and the Eastern United States. It's known for its cascading vines and fragrant flowers.
Wisteria grows quickly and vigorously, reaching lengths up to 20 meters when not pruned. They flower in a variety of colors, including white, purple, pale pink, and blue.
Wisteria has been cultivated in gardens in the East since the seventeenth century and in the West since the 1800s. Its long creeping vines can be trained to form interesting shapes and sculptures.
Wisteria flowers hang from long racemes in an eye-catching bell shape. These blossoms are known for their intense fragrance reaching 10 meters away.
Wisteria's climbing vines only have tiny twining tendrils that help them grip onto trees and other structures. It's important to provide a support structure for it to climb.
The wisteria blossoms emerge in late spring and early summer and last a few weeks. Its trunk and branches can live as long as 100 years.
Wisteria is slow to establish but is highly drought tolerant once it is fully grown. The plant prefers light, sandy, well-drained soil and plenty of sun.
Wisteria is well known for its attractive panicles of flowers and beautiful foliage. It does well in temperate climates and therefore doesn't tolerate the cold well.
Growing wisteria is best done from young cuttings with roots. Before growing, the cuttings should be soaked in water overnight.
Wisteria can be used as a spectacular specimen plant when grown on a single trunk in the far back corner of a garden. This way, its beauty will stand out.
Wisteria branches need to be pruned regularly. This will help to keep the vine in its desired shape and prevent the plant from taking over its surroundings.