How To Grow Blue Chinese Wisteria Tree

Imagine a wall or fence that is plain with cascades of blue-purple flowers covering it. The wisteria tree puts on a spectacular display with its many scented blossoms. Make sure the porch, deck, patio, or window can all see your lovely wisteria tree. You’ll enjoy watching butterflies flit among your magnificent and distinctive tree’s lovely, deep purple flower clusters.

This tree is not only incredibly beautiful, but it also fulfills every requirement for a plant. The wisteria tree is resilient to disease, easy to grow, and tolerant of deer, drought, and different types of soil.

Key Features:

  • wisteria with a distinctive tree shape! When fully grown, this small tree is about 10-15 feet tall and wide, making it the ideal choice for most landscapes.
  • extremely abundant flowering. These flowers have gorgeous, durable blooms. Spring to early June is when they flower.
  • wonderful blue-purple hue. Even while the color can vary somewhat depending on the atmosphere, from slightly more blue to slightly more purple, this particular type always has that subtle blue undertone that makes it so alluring.
  • The wisteria tree is a hardy plant that requires little care, is flexible, and grows quickly. This magnificent tree is also resistant to deer, disease, and drought!
  • hummingbirds and butterflies are drawn to it! Relax and take in the performance!

Pro tip: Although this tree thrives in partial shade, planting it in full sunlight will result in the best blooming.

It’s difficult to discover this wisteria tree! Before they are all gone, get yours today! For zones 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9, the wisteria tree is the ideal flowering tree.

The tiny trees known as wisteria are notorious for growing quickly, reaching heights of 3 to 5 feet annually. This tree will begin to bloom three to five years after it is planted.

This little tree grows well in grow zones 5-9. It tolerates a variety of soils and does well in full sun to part shade exposure. To accommodate a mature spread of 10–12 feet, space plants 15 feet apart.

Give this tree lots of room because it is invasive and could suffocate nearby native trees and bushes.

Make sure your Wisteria tree is planted in a location and under conditions that will allow it to grow successfully. Although spring and fall are the best periods to plant, you can grow your wisteria at any time of the year as long as the weather isn’t too harsh.

Although the wisteria tree may thrive in both full sun and partial shade, more sunlight will result in more blossoms. Wisteria are highly versatile and even drought tolerant once they have established themselves, despite preferring moist, well-drained, nutritious soil. For the first two to three months, water thoroughly with a hose around twice a week. A 2 inch layer of mulch will aid in weed control, root protection, and soil moisture maintenance. Apply a slow-release fertilizer in the spring.

Just new growth produces wisteria blooms. Therefore, pruning can help you receive the maximum blooms possible. For optimal results, prune at least half of the previous year’s growth in late winter. Pruning is needed to keep the canopy rounded.

For the first year or so after planting, your wisteria tree might need to be staked. These trees grow quickly, and their canopies can be heavy for young trees.

Your landscape will be brought to life by the wisteria tree! This tree will look great in your landscape and home! This unusual tree will anchor the corners of your house and give color, beauty, and flair unlike anything else! For a spectacular display, arrange three wisteria trees together in a corner of your yard. Around this magnificent wisteria tree, create a mixed bed, a nice cottage garden, or both.

How much time does a blue Chinese wisteria tree require to grow?

The deciduous perennial vine known as Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) twines as it grows. Chinese wisteria is a lovely flower, just like the other wisteria species, but it is also poisonous and invasive.

From May through June, it produces huge, hanging clusters of fragrant blooms that are often bluish-purple in color. If you do decide to plant it, spring or fall are the ideal times. This strong climber may reach a height of 25 feet. Trellises and other supports need to be robust enough to support the weight of the plant.

Chinese wisteria grows quickly, but it can take up to 20 years for it to reach flowering maturity. It frequently has a very lengthy lifespan.

Warning

Toxic Chinese wisteria is present. Additionally, it grows quickly and is an invasive plant in the US. A less assertive option is the native North American plant known as American wisteria (Wisteriafrutescens). It would be more responsible to select an American or Kentucky wisteria if you desire a wisteria and do not currently have one.

How is a Chinese wisteria tree grown?

Most wisteria types can survive in Zone 4 (-20 degrees Fahrenheit) and don’t need much upkeep over time. They can therefore be planted almost anywhere in the nation.

Wisteria can handle any damp soil, but it prefers a place with fertile, well-draining soil. You can improve the soil if you reside in a region with low soil quality by adding compost.

It is best to plant your wisteria where it will receive full sun because it requires 6 to 8 hours every day. Wisteria will grow in regions with shade and little sunlight, although it will flower more in full sun.

Wisterias grow best when planted in the spring or fall when they are dormant. To plant your wisteria, either locate a large container or dig a hole that is at least twice as wide and twice as deep as the root ball. Start backfilling the hole after setting the plant in the hole or container, making sure it is straight. To avoid air pockets from forming, water your plant while you backfill, and after you’re finished, tamp the soil firmly.

If you want to train your Wisteria vines to climb an exterior wall, patio, or pergola, plant them close to the base of the structure and make sure the trellising or posts are strong enough to support their development.

Make sure to frequently water your Wisteria over the first year until it becomes established.

Wisteria

Chinese wisteria has aromatic panicles that look like grapes. However, wisteria, like kudzu, honeysuckle, and other blossoming beauties, can be a complete nightmare, as most of the nation has come to discover. Plant with great caution as the vine has been referred to as invasive in at least 19 states, from Illinois to Texas.

A deciduous climber with quick growth that is hardy to zone 5, Wisteria sinensis. The aggressive plant known as Chinese wisteria has the ability to take over a section of the yard. So take this as a warning: Chinese wisteria can be maintained, but to keep the growth under control, it will need to be pruned at least once a month.

Types of wisteria:

There are two varieties of wisteria: Asian and American. Although aggressive growers, Asian wisterias are well-known for their stunning blossoms. American wisterias are less aggressive and still produce beautiful blossoms. Compare the most common types of wisteria.

Flower color:

Wisteria comes in a range of colors, such as white, pink, and blue tones, in addition to the well-known purple blossoms. There are no yellow wisteria flowers, if you think you’ve seen one it was likely a golden chain tree (Laburnum).

Foliage:

Wisterias are deciduous, which means that when the weather becomes chilly in the fall, they lose their leaves. The misunderstanding is occasionally brought on by a different vine known as evergreen wisteria (Millettia reticulata).

Avoid planting aggressive wisterias close to your home as they can cause damage and have even been known to destroy buildings.

Wisterias can be grown in full sun or partial shade, but to promote healthy bloom development, make sure the vines get at least six hours of direct sunlight everyday. If you reside in a colder area, pick a planting location that is protected because a heavy spring frost can harm the flower buds.

Create a planting hole that is the same depth as the plant and twice as wide, then level the plant with the soil surface. Because the vines will soon fill in, you should space your plants at least 10 to 15 feet apart along the support structure.

Wisterias don’t need much care once they are planted to promote healthy growth. Water frequently over the first year until the roots take hold.

After planting, wisterias could take some time to come out of dormancy and might not start to leaf until early summer. They will leaf out at the regular time the following spring, but don’t be surprised if they don’t bloom. Wisterias take three to five years to reach full maturity and may not start blooming until then.

Wisterias grow quickly and can reach heights of up to 10 feet in in one growing season. That works out well if you need to quickly cover a fence or pergola but don’t want the vines to take over your landscape. Regular pruning (once in the summer and once in the winter) not only controls wisteria’s growth but also encourages more robust flowering by creating a framework of horizontal branches and causing spurs to grow at regular intervals.

Cut back the current year’s growth to five or six leaves in July or August, or roughly two months after the plant flowers, to get rid of stray shoots and make short branches that will produce flowers the following year. Summer pruning needs to be done more frequently. Re-prune the plant in January or February while it is dormant by removing two or three buds from the growth from the previous year.

The first few years of wisteria’s growth are crucial for creating the desired framework for the plant’s development. As soon as your wisteria begins to grow, start connecting particular lateral shoots to its support structure. You should also cut down any extra growth. An aggressive pruning may be required on elder plants to promote the growth of new branches. Cut down aging branches to the main primary stem to accomplish this. The spaces will soon be filled with new side branches that can be connected back into the support structure.

Visit the Royal Horticultural Society to view a video on how to prune wisteria vines properly.

The greatest places for wisteria trees to grow

The greatest way to utilize wisteria’s breathtaking beauty and incredible vitality is to grow it as a little tree, or standard. Long racemes of sweet-smelling May flowers hang down from soft, pruned leaf heads and sway slightly with each breeze. The compact head of a Tree Wisteria looks amazing in a mixed bed of perennials, bulbs, and annuals. The impression is beautiful and dignified.

Please be aware that wisterias typically take a while to emerge from dormancy after planting. Please be aware that your plant won’t start to leaf out until early summer. It will thereafter leaf out at the usual time in succeeding years (midspring).

Choosing a Location: Wisterias grow and flower most effectively in areas with plenty of sunlight, preferably at least 6 hours every day. They do well in any kind of soil as long as it drains well.

In order to plant your bareroot Wisteria, take off the packing and give the roots a few hours in a bucket of water. Then, dig a hole that is both large enough to permit the roots’ spread and deep enough to allow you to set the crown, or the location where the stem and roots converge, 1 inch below the soil’s surface. Insert the roots into the planting hole and arrange them naturally or like the spokes of a wheel. The roots of many woody plants are brittle, so use additional care when positioning them in the planting hole to prevent breaking them. With one hand holding the crown 1 inch below the soil’s surface, use the other to push soil into the hole while circling the roots to prevent air pockets from forming. Then, using both hands, compact the soil close to the crown. To create a basin, create a rim of earth around the perimeter of the planting hole. This basin is used to collect, hold, and direct water to the roots. Finally, thoroughly immerse the plant.

Please be aware that once bareroot plants are taken out of their packing, they dry up rapidly, especially on a sunny, windy day. Until you are ready to plant, we strongly advise that you keep the roots wrapped in wrapping material.

Staking: To keep their heads aloft in severe gusts, tree wisterias need additional support. After planting, drive the wooden stake that came with your tree 6 to 12 inches deep and 1/2 inch away from the plant’s trunk into the earth. Using the plastic tie tape that came with the tree, affix the trunk to the stake numerous times, spacing them apart by about 8 inches. You’ll need to swap out the original stake for a bigger wooden stake or a sturdy steel pipe as the head and trunk grow bigger. Check the tree every spring and autumn to ensure that the stake is securely in place and that the tie tape used to attach the trunk to the stake is not excessively tight and preventing the trunk from expanding. Plants need to be firmly staked at all times.

Watering and Fertilizing: To hasten wisterias’ establishment in the first year after planting, they require the equivalent of 1 inch of water each week. If the sky doesn’t provide enough moisture, water deeply once a week. Plants that are established only require irrigation during extended dry spells. Wisterias don’t need much, if any, fertilizing because too much fertilizer prevents blossom. Give plants a gentle feeding of 5-10-10 or 5-10-5 at a rate of 3/4 cup per square yard in the early spring each year if your soil is particularly weak or sandy.

Overwintering: For the first few winters after planting, cover the main stem with a piece of plastic tubing in cold-winter conditions like ours here in Litchfield (Zone 5 [-20F]). To encircle the stem, make a straight incision from one end to the other and pry the cut open. (Precut tubing could be available at your nearby garden center.) To stop wind and frost from damaging branches on older specimens, cat’s-cradle bind the branches together using twine to form a web of intertwined strings.

Pruning: Tree Wisterias need to have the long, twining branches they generate in the summer pruned lightly but frequently in order to maintain the globe shape of the head. A couple of weeks prior to the first date of your first frost, they also require one severe pruning in late summer or early fall. Remove all branches that are in the wrong place and reduce the current season’s development to just 5 to 6 huge buds (leaving stubs that are about 6 inches long). This drastic haircut inhibits growth and promotes the transformation of some leaf buds into flower buds. Don’t let pruning errors keep you up at night. Wisterias are highly understanding plants; strong growth the following season will give you another chance.