It’s all about location, location, location when it comes to Wisteria. This fast-growing vine won’t let you down when it bursts with fragrant blooms that resemble bunches of billowy grapes, but if it’s not planted and cared for properly, it may cause a lot of misery.
- Wisteria will cling to everything with which it can cover its tendrils, including buildings, fences, sheds, garages, and other trees.
- Wisteria will slink into any crevice, which could lead to damage.
- It is possible to train the vine to grow in the desired location, but it will require some upkeep.
- Choose a species of wisteria that is beneficial to your local habitat because many types are invasive.
When you have all the information, fast-growing vines like wisteria and others can be frightening, but that doesn’t mean you should avoid these lovely plants. You’ll profit from a genuinely distinctive plant and brilliant display of blooms each spring as long as you’re committed to caring for them and keep the growth under control each season.
Can wisteria harm walls in any way?
The majority of the terrifying tales about Wisteria that you hear are about structural damage. Wisteria can destroy a fence or wall, bring down a pergola or arbor, and even harm your house. Because of this, we don’t advise planting it close to your home, your shed, your garage, your neighbor’s home, or anything else you don’t want it to climb onto. However, by making preparations and performing routine maintenance, all those problems can be avoided.
Wisteria can slink beneath siding or roof tiles because it can squeeze into any tiny gap or crevice it finds. It will become older and crack, possibly causing harm to the building. Not to mention that it could result in a gap where moisture and water could enter walls or beneath shingles.
Wisteria has a history of growing into gaps and crevices near doors and windows, collapsing the frames or shattering glass in the process. It may enter from behind shutters, pop them off, or inflict other harm. In gutters or around downspouts, vines can climb. The exterior of your property might be penetrated by this invasive vine in a variety of ways.
The sheer bulk and weight of the mature vine is another issue. A mature Wisteria requires a very powerful support structure to keep it standing because it is huge and heavy. Frequently, a little vine is purchased and planted close to a fence, modest-sized arbor, or pergola. After several years of contentedly climbing and expanding, the vine finally completely engulfs the structure to the point where it is difficult to see it anymore. Owners will discover that the entire structure has fallen under the huge weight of the vine once the wisteria grows large and heavy enough.
Therefore, it’s crucial to take into account how big and heavy the mature plant will be if you want to place your wisteria close to something that it can climb on. Check out this post to understand how to grow wisteria on a pergola and what kind of support structure you’ll need for the vine.
If you want to grow your wisteria next to a fence or wall, the same guidelines apply. You must make sure the building is sturdy enough to hold the weight of the vine. That typically involves using metal stakes that are firmly planted in the ground. When growing wisteria next to a brick wall, you can offer the vine something to climb on by anchoring metal wires into the wall.
For wooden posts, the same holds true. Use metal wire systems that are attached into the wood to provide the wisteria with something to wrap its tendrils around as it climbs. Otherwise, the weight of the mature vine will cause the structure to crumble.
How is wisteria fastened to a wall?
on a wall. Wisteria should be trained as an espalier with horizontal support wires (3mm galvanized steel) spaced 30 cm (1 ft) apart for the best results when grown against a wall. Plants will develop a robust spur system with time and twice-yearly trimming.
Can I grow wisteria near my home?
In the spring, wisteria blooms ferociously, producing clusters of lilac-colored flowers on fresh growth that develops from spurs off the main stalks. Check out our Wisteria Growing Guide for more information on wisteria maintenance, including planting and pruning.
About Wisteria
Wisteria is a long-living vining shrub with cascades of blue to purple blossoms that, in the spring and early summer, look stunning hanging from a pergola or archway. However, this vine is known to grow fairly heavy and to grow quickly and aggressively, frequently reaching lengths of more than 30 feet. It’s advised not to put wisteria vines too close to your home since they will squirm their way into any crack or crevice they can find.
Beautifully fragrant wisteria flowers offer a feast for the senses. A brown, bean-like pod remains on the plant during the winter after flowering. There are only blooms on fresh growth.
Note: Be careful when planting wisteria! The wisteria plant contains lectin and wisterin, which are poisonous to people, animals, and even pets. If taken in significant quantities, these poisons can result in anything from nausea and diarrhea to death.
Is Wisteria an Invasive Plant?
The wisteria species Wisteria sinensis and Wisteria floribunda, which are not native to North America, are regarded as invasive in several areas. If you want to add a new wisteria to your garden, we advise choosing one of the native North American varieties, such as American wisteria (Wisteria frutescens) or Kentucky wisteria (Wisteria macrostachya), which are excellent alternatives to the Asian species.
Do you want to know how to distinguish between North American and Asian species?
While North American wisteria is not quite as aggressive in its growing tendencies and has smooth seed pods and fruits in addition to more-or-less cylindrical, bean-shaped seeds, Asian wisteria is an aggressive grower with fuzzy seed pods. Another distinction is that the flowers of American and Kentucky wisterias appear in the late spring after the plant has begun to leaf out, whereas those of Chinese wisteria do not.
When to Plant Wisteria
- Plant during the plant’s dormant season in the spring or fall.
- Wisteria can be grown from seed, although plants from seeds frequently take many years to mature and begin to bloom. It is advised to buy wisteria plants that are already established or to begin with a cutting.
Where to Plant Wisteria
- Put a plant in full sun. Even while wisteria will grow in some shade, it won’t likely bloom. Sunlight is necessary.
- Wisteria should be grown in fertile, wet, but well-draining soil.
- Wisteria will grow in most soils unless it is in bad condition, in which case you need add compost. Find out more about soil improvements and getting the soil ready for planting.
- Because wisteria grows swiftly and can easily engulf its neighbors, pick a location apart from other plants.
- Additionally, wisteria is renowned for encroaching on and infiltrating surrounding buildings like homes, garages, sheds, and so on. We highly advise against growing wisteria too near your house!
- Wisteria vines need a very strong support, like a metal or wooden trellis or pergola, to climb on. Plan carefully and use substantial materials to construct your structure because mature plants have been known to become so heavy that they destroy their supports.
Wisteria looks gorgeous growing up the side of a house, but use caution when planting it because it is a very strong vine that will get into any crack or gap!
Caring for Wisteria
- Apply a 2-inch layer of mulch and a layer of compost under the plant each spring to keep moisture in and keep weeds at bay.
- Phosphorus is often used by gardeners to promote flowering. In the spring, work a few cups of bone meal into the soil. Then, in the fall, add some rock phosphate. Study up on soil amendments.
- If you get less than an inch of rain each week, water your plants. (To determine how much rain you are receiving, set an empty food can outside and use a measuring stick to gauge the depth of the water.)
- During the summer, try pruning the out-of-control shoots every two weeks for more blooms.
Pruning Wisteria
- In the late winter, prune wisteria. Remove at least half of the growth from the previous year, leaving only a few buds on each stem.
- Also prune in the summer after customary flowering if you prefer a more formal appearance. On fresh growth, spurs from the main shoots of the wisteria develop its blossoms. Trim back every new shoot from this year to a spur, leaving no more than 6 inches of growth. So that there are no free, trailing shoots, the entire plant can be trained, roped in, and otherwise organized throughout this procedure.
- Mature plants that have been cultivated informally require little to no more pruning. However, for a plant that has been formally trained, side branches should be pruned back in the summer to 6 inches, then again in the winter to 3 buds.
- Possess you a fresh wisteria? After planting, aggressively prune the vine. Then, the next year, trim the main stem or stems to a height of 3 feet from the growth of the previous year. After the framework has grown to its full size, midsummer extension growth should be cut back to where it started that season.
How is wisteria grown adjacent to a wall?
Wisterias should be trained as an espalier with horizontal support wires (3mm galvanized steel) spaced 45cm (18″) apart for best results when growing them against a wall. As an alternative, you may train them to climb a strong pergola or perhaps a tree. It is best to attach supports before planting because it will be much more difficult to do so after the wisteria has been planted.
Plant your wisteria in the spring or fall. To increase the soil’s fertility and drainage before to planting, add a lot of well-rotted manure or garden compost to the area. Because you’ll be sharing your home with the plant for a very long time, it’s critical to take the time to establish perfect soil conditions for your wisteria from the very beginning.
Use the depth at which it was planted in the pot as a guide for planting your wisteria outside. If you’re planting a bare-root wisteria, check the base of the stem for a soil mark that shows the depth at which the plant was inserted into the ground at the nursery. This is typically located just below the graft point, which is a bulge in the stem where the rootstock and main plant are joined.
Can wisteria harm my home?
In order to support the massive vine, the wisteria’s root system extends out widely and dives deep. Do wisteria roots exhibit aggression? Yes, wisteria’s root system is highly aggressive. Avoid planting wisteria next to walls or walkways because of its extensive and strong root system. These are easily harmed by a wisteria’s root system.
Experts advise inserting a corrugated panel about 6 feet (1.8 m) long and several feet (1 m) broad beside the plant to redirect the roots if you find a wisteria close to a building or pathway.
How can wisteria effect the pillars of houses?
On a south-facing wall of our home, a Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) is growing. There are a lot of flowers there, but I worry that the roots may spread beneath the land and end up harming the house. Should I trim it?
Only areas with soil will support wisteria growth. Therefore, it won’t wander under the home.
Oh my goodness, no! Only areas with soil will support wisteria (below). Therefore, it won’t venture under the home, not least because the footings of the structure act as a sturdy obstruction. Every spring, keep the plant well-mulched with manure or compost. Every summer, soon after flowering, cut back the new growth to 6 inches of a healthy bud. Then, just sit back and enjoy it.
Can I do the same with my vegetables since I like to save and plant flower seed?
You can, indeed. If allowed to flower, all vegetables will generate seed, and the majority of those seeds can be saved and used the following year. Some, like peas and beans, are simpler to grow than others, but you should attempt to leave a few plants from each crop to flower and set seed. Then, gather the mature seed heads, allow them to fully dry, and store them in a paper envelope in a cool, dry location.
How are wisteria supports made?
Wisteria weighs a lot. When it is very old, its main stems may be as thick as a small tree trunk and reach a thickness of several inches. When you plant, keep the future in mind; otherwise, your wisteria will end up with a vine that is too heavy for its support.
Wisteria is typically grown on strong arbors or pergolas, up walls, or both. Start by attaching a number of 6- to 8-inch L-brackets to the support in order to secure it against a home wall. One row of brackets runs vertically up the middle of the wall at 1-foot intervals, and the other rows run horizontally at 2- to 3-foot intervals. To prevent vines from encroaching on the eaves, fasten the top row 3 feet below the eaves.
Galvanized wire should be run between the brackets. After that, attach the baby wisteria vine with string; as it grows, its stems will twine around the wire. (There is plenty of area for air circulation and growth because the wire is placed 6 to 8 inches away from the wall.)
Make sure that the support posts of the construction are at least 4 by 4 inches in size if you want to plant wisteria up an arbor or pergola. Keep the main stem firmly tied with heavy-duty garden twine until it has grown over the top of the building and is attached there. The main stem can be twined around a post or grown straight against it.
Leave the lateral branches on the main stem while the wisteria is growing, especially in the first year or two. After the plant has established healthy growth, you can start gently pinching or trimming off lateral growth at the plant’s base. As the vine climbs the post and moves along the arbor or pergola ceiling, keep trimming some of the lateral growth each year.
When the vine reaches the roof, tie it in place and direct its growth horizontally. It will be held in place as it ages by its own weight and the twining side branches. If you wish to continue lashing it down for more protection, make sure the ties aren’t girdling the branches once a year.