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.
What distinguishes a Wisteria tree from a Wisteria vine?
Do wisteria vines and trees differ from one another? I’ve been looking for a place to buy a tree because I’ve seen photographs. I’m always being pointed toward the vine, though. Any information would be helpful.
“Wisteria is a deciduous twining climber native to China, Japan, and eastern United States; there is no botanical distinction between a Wisteria vine and a Wisteria tree. British Royal Horticultural Society The training and trimming make a difference. The tree form is a wonderful choice for planting Wisteria in a smaller garden because it has a 30-foot growth potential and may be rather aggressive. These two websites demonstrate how to shape a wisteria vine into either the traditional or tree form. There is also a link to instructions on growing wisteria.
Does wisteria grow on bushes or trees?
With its velvety foliage and big, drooping clusters of fragrant flowers, wisteria is one of the few plants that may give elegance and romance to the landscape. Wisteria is basically a strong deciduous vine, but it can be coaxed to grow into a tree or shrub.
Wisteria can be planted right now. Although most wisteria plants are still dormant, they should begin to sprout soon and flower in April or May. Jim Kitano, the manager of Kitano Garden Center in La Palma, claims that some mature vines continue to bloom well into the summer.
There are roughly ten different species of wisteria, however this region is most frequently home to the Chinese native Wisteria sinensis.
‘Alba,’ a variety of Chinese wisteria, has white flower clusters that can reach 2 feet in height; ‘Caroline,’ with dark purple-blue blooms; and ‘Cooke’s Special,’ with deep purple blooms. Because of its lengthy blooming period, which begins in spring and lasts into summer, the latter type is more well-liked.
The following advice will help you successfully grow this striking vine:
* Grow plants in full sun in a location that receives at least six hours of daily direct sunshine.
* When growing as a vine, pick a location where the plant can spread out because wisteria vines can grow endlessly and can reach heights of up to 120 feet. An arbor, patio roof, fence, or other solid structure is what the vine will need to grow on.
* Purchase one that has been trained in this way, or prune and train it, to develop as a tree or shrub. To achieve this, cut all stems apart from the main stem and stake it with horticultural tape made of plastic.
Pinch the plant to force branching at the height you want the main branches to appear from, and remove any buds that sprout below that height by rubbing them off.
* Offer effective drainage. Although wisteria is not picky about the soil, it cannot stand having wet feet. Fill a 2-foot-deep hole with water until it stops draining to check the area’s drainage. It ought to have entirely emptied by the time you come back 24 hours later. Select a spot with better drainage if there is standing water.
Dig down 2 1/2 feet and amend with one-third planter’s mix to loosen up hard clay before planting.
When wisteria starts to grow, water it once or twice a week when it doesn’t rain. In warm weather, established plants older than three years need a good soak once a week.
* Three times a year, fertilize. Use a nitrogen-rich fertilizer, like a 16-16-16, in the spring and summer to stimulate general development. Use a fertilizer with more phosphate and potassium in the fall, such as 5-20-10. This will promote healthy flowering and deep roots.
* Pick a pot with a minimum 20-gallon capacity if you want to grow wisteria in a container. Depending on the weather, use a high-quality potting soil and water your plants every three to five days. Feed outside plants similarly to indoor ones.
* Prune wisteria after a year of development after the plant’s late spring or early summer flowering period is over. Trim to regulate shape and size.
Will wisteria grow into a tree?
You may teach wisteria to grow up a tree. A wisteria tree can be a great choice for you if you appreciate the way the vines are twisted into a trunk-like shape with the foliage on top. Another name for this is a “standard Wisteria.
As a side note, the term “standard” refers to any plant, usually cultivated as a vine or shrub (not a tree), that has been taught and pruned to develop into a free-standing, single-stemmed tree.
Although you can train your wisteria to resemble a tree, you shouldn’t let the vine climb a real tree. Even though it can be alluring to utilize a tree trunk as a natural support, the wisteria will probably catch up to and eventually harm the tree as it grows bigger, heavier, and higher.
The outcome might be magnificent if you chose to teach your wisteria to grow like a tree. However, in order for your plant to get the desired outcome, you will need to assist it. Wisteria will need a large support stake or some other device to hold it up while it develops and matures because it cannot naturally stand up on its own.
Is wisteria a type of tree?
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.