In the Fabaceae (Leguminosae) family of flowering plants, the genus Wisteria contains eleven species of woody twining vines that are native to China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Southern Canada, the Eastern United States, and northern Iran. Later, they were imported to France, Germany, and a number of other European nations. Some species are common houseplants.
The aqueous flowering plant, Hygrophila difformis, belongs to the Acanthaceae family and is more often known as wisteria or “water wisteria.”
Wisteria is it a tree or a vine?
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.
Is wisteria toxic to people?
Eastern and central North America is the home to the ornamental ivy known as Virginia creeper. It features five-leaf groupings of tiny leaves, or leaflets. It is occasionally mistaken for poison ivy, which has leaflets that form clusters of three. Fortunately, unlike poison ivy, Virginia creeper doesn’t contain an oil that can cause rashes. Just repeat yourself, “Leaves of three, let it be; leaves of five, let it thrive,” if you have difficulties remembering which plant is which.
Virginia creeper’s berries and leaves can be poisonous, therefore it’s not entirely non-poisonous. Virginia creeper berries have small crystals called oxalate crystals and resemble purple grapes. Additionally, Virginia creeper leaves contain these crystals. Chewing on the berries or leaves can irritate the throat, lips, tongue, and mouth. Although extremely rare, oxalate crystal-containing plant consumption has been linked to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and trouble swallowing. Typically, the symptoms appear fast and might linger for up to half a day.
A climbing vine called wisteria produces clusters of blue or purple blossoms that dangle and are fragrant. Wisteria seeds are housed in velvety, dangling seed pods. All plant parts include the dangerous compounds lectin and wisterin, which, if ingested, can result in a burning feeling in the mouth, stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. The seed pods and seeds are thought to be the sections of the plant that are the most deadly. Once they start, these symptoms might linger for up to two days.
You can assist someone who mistakenly comes into contact with Virginia creeper or wisteria by doing the following:
- Wipe their mouth with gentleness.
- To get the plant matter out of their mouth, have them spit while you have them rinse with water.
- To help rinse the residual substance into their stomachs, they can take a few little sips of water.
- Sucking on ice chips or other icy foods may provide pain relief for people whose mouths are inflamed.
- Keep them hydrated by giving them regular, short sips of clear liquids if they are feeling nausea or vomiting.
Check the webPOISONCONTROL online tool for advice or dial Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 if you believe someone has been exposed to Virginia creeper or wisteria and is experiencing problems.
Is it dangerous to touch wisteria?
Wisteria Wisteria has a seductive charm, but did you know that it is only mildly harmful to cats and dogs? Its seeds, in particular, are harmful in every way.
What affects demons does wisteria have?
- The name “Fujikasane,” which means “wrapped in wisteria,” comes from the fact that wisteria is utilized to keep the demons imprisoned on Mount Fujikasane during the Final Selection[3].
- The ranks of the corps members are inscribed on the back of their hands using Wisteria after the Final Selection.
- [4]
- Wisteria may be utilized to make poisons that can immobilize Lower Ranks of the Twelve Kizuki and paralyze common Demons. These poisons have been demonstrated to have the power to dissolve nearly any demon in sufficient concentrations, denying the ability of certain demons to regenerate, as demonstrated by Shinobu Kocho. [5]
- Shinobu was able to alter her own physique by using Wisteria Flower Poison with the aid of Tamayo and Yushiro. As part of her defense against Doma, Shinobu voluntarily changed her own physiology so that every cell of her flesh was covered in wisteria poison[6], transforming her body into a covert human poison capsule that, given enough time, would slowly eat away at the bodies of even the highest Upper Ranks of the Twelve Kizuki. She claimed that her whole size and weight made her equivalent to 37 kilograms of poison, or over 700 times[7] more than what would be required to kill an average demon.
- Shinobu uses wisteria to make a drug that will transform a Demon back into a human.
- [8]
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 popular wisteria varieties.
Flower color:
Wisteria comes in a range of colors, such as white, pink, and blue tones, in addition to the well-known purple blossoms. If you believe you have seen a yellow wisteria flower, it was probably 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.
How does wisteria smell?
It has a powdery, delicate aroma that is more pleasant than lilacs, in my opinion. It really does smell like wisteria blossoms in the spring and has a very feminine scent.
Suppose my dog eats some wisteria.
Wisteria, also known as wistaria or wysteria, is a climbing vine related to the blooming pea plant that may reach heights of 60 feet and a width of 30 feet. The flowers are white, pink, violet, or purple and grow in flowing clusters. The most toxic parts of the plant, which resemble pea pods and contain high levels of the poisons lectin and wisterin, are the seedpods. If seed pods or seeds are devoured, as well as a significant number of blooms or foliage, both of these can be fatal. Even if your dog shows no symptoms, you should contact your veterinarian or seek veterinary care as soon as you can because there is no acute discomfort or unpleasant taste and your dog may continue to eat until a deadly amount is swallowed.
A group of flowering vines known as wisteria are as venomous as they are attractive. They are renowned for their cascading torrent of hanging blossoms, but if even a few seed pods are consumed, they are toxic. Small animal and child fatalities have been documented numerous times over the years. Wisteria has two harmful components: lectin and wisterin glycoside. Both of these can be lethal, but the seed pods and the seeds themselves are the most dangerous because they have the highest concentrations of lectin and wisterin glycoside. Lectin causes harmful blood clotting, blood cell clumping, and the possibility of a stroke. The extreme diarrhea and vomiting that the wisterin glycoside can cause can lead to death by dehydration.