Where To Buy Wisteria In Canada

The most resilient of the wisterias, Blue Moon Wisteria is a beautiful, flowering vine. You can anticipate seeing magnificent, fragrant, lavender-blue flowers up to three times in one growing season.

Plan ahead since this vine needs a framework to sustain its full weight as it matures. Attempt to plant near a pole, trellis, or fence.

Can you grow wisteria in Canada?

It’s blooming like the end of the world all around Hamilton. It grows on top of a trellis next door at my neighbors’ that is so sturdy you could land a jet fighter on it. The air is fragrant and the bees are enchanted by the flowers that appear to be on every single stalk.

From the bottom to the top, the wisteria climbs three stories while wrapping wire in its web and molding the metal framework to suit its needs. With time, those spaghetti-thin little sprouts develop into tree trunks.

Wisteria covers an arbour in Olwyne Mitton’s yard, dropping petals like enormous snowflakes. She restrains the opportunistic vine by slicing it back by a third every year during her aggressive trimming.

We are in Zone 6 here in Hamilton, so growing wisteria should be a piece of cake. It sort of is. The vine will spread and grow into a thicket of leaves, but the blooming process may take some time. You might receive flowers on the first day, after ten years, or never.

When will my wisteria bloom? was a question that the late Chris Graham, chief of horticulture for the Royal Botanical Gardens, frequently received. He usually responded, “In seven years.”

Being too friendly to wisteria once it has been planted and its roots have taken is stupid. It doesn’t require watering unless it’s in a desert, and excessive fertilizing won’t make it bloom; it will only result in additional leaves. The secret to floral power is pruning.

The wisterias in the city that are producing the most blossoms are under control, if you look about. From the ground, a few sturdy branches sprout, branching into a horizontal structure covered in cascades of purple flowers.

When kept under control, it doesn’t grow haphazardly, strangling any slow-moving critters that get in its way with shoots that flop around on the ground. Wisteria may be taught to grow as a tree or to frame a porch with care and dedication, which is how I frequently see it in the North End.

The wisteria should be pruned heavily in late winter and then again lightly in the spring and summer to control stray growth after the wisteria has done blooming. More comprehensive information, such as how to recognize flower buds and the spurs that produce the most flowers, can be found online by doing some research.

Look for wisteria that is in blossom in the pot when you are buying. It is likely to bloom once more if it has already done so. If you can locate Lawrence, a Japanese wisteria that was developed in Canada, that might be a good option.

Although there are variances in the size and spiraling pattern of the blossoms, both Chinese and Japanese wisteria are marketed here and all are fragrant. Japanese ones twist counterclockwise, while Chinese ones do the opposite. Wisteria vines that have escaped constitute a concern in warmer climates because their aggressive growth girdles and kills trees.

Here in the colder regions, wisteria’s strongman strategies can lift up siding and eavestroughs with its aggressive growth or pull over frail supports.

But let’s concentrate on wisteria’s delicate side. The RBG’s collections curator, Alex Henderson, claims that the spring’s cold temperatures have favored the enormous flowers.

“In overall, it appears that many spring flowering plants had a successful year. For instance, the lilacs and Japanese flowering cherries both had a vintage year. And speaking of lilacs, this year is a classic year for smell in addition to them flowering profusely. I believe that cooler springs result in better flowers, which is why your wisteria may be having a vintage year as well.”

Invasion of wisteria in Canada?

It is well known that wisteria take a very long time to bloom. For two to three years after planting, don’t anticipate blossoms. Some readers swear by the following technique to encourage blooming:

To cut into part of the roots, take a shovel and drive it 8 to 10 inches into the ground approximately a foot and a half away from the main trunk of the wisteria.
Approximately half of the roots should be damaged for the shrub to be shocked into reproduction (flowering).
Don’t worry—impossible it’s to harm this unchecked, unwieldy, frequently invasive shrub!
The flowers of wisteria can also be impacted by chilly winter temperatures.

Native Wisteria

Consider growing a wisteria species that is indigenous to North America if you live there, such as:

American wisteria(Wisteria frutescens), which grows in Zones 5 to 9. Its original states span from Virginia to Texas, the southeast to Florida, and up into New York, Iowa, and Michigan in the north. The vine is 25 to 30 feet long, has glossy, dark-green leaves, and after the plant has begun to leaf out, develops huge, drooping clusters of lilac or purple-blue flowers. Only new wood will display the blossoms. Notably, the blossoms are typically less aromatic than those of Asian wisterias.
In zones 4 to 9, Kentucky wisteria (Wisteria macrostachya) flourishes. Similar to American wisteria, this late-bloomer is a native of the Southeast of the United States (it is sometimes considered a variety or subspecies of American wisteria). The Kentucky wisteria is the quickest to blossom, bearing faintly fragrant bluish-purple flowers after only two to three years of growth.
A gorgeous, silvery-blue cultivar of the native Kentucky wisteria called “Blue Moon” is particularly hardy. In late spring or early summer, it blooms. It can go as chilly as -40F. (-40C).

Non-Native Wisteria

Despite the fact that they are frequently marketed at nurseries and garden centers, Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) and Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) are non-native, invasive species, hence we do not suggest them for North American gardens. They can reach lengths of 30 to 60 feet and are hardy in Zones 5 to 9. (and beyond in the Southern U.S.). Japanese wisteria comes in two popular kinds, including:
Popular plant known as “Honbeni” displays clusters of pink flowers in the late spring.
“Alba” (also known as “Shiro Noda”) yields beautiful clusters of snow-white flowers in the late spring.

Are Wisteria Toxic to Pets and Humans?

Yes, 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.

If pets or young children frequent the area, it is a good idea to remove the seedpods after the plant has flowered because the material is particularly concentrated in the seeds and seedpods. Unaware children or animals won’t think twice about eating as many seedpods as they can because they are not unpleasant to taste or have an instant effect. In case of ingestion, contact your neighborhood poison control center.

What variety of wisteria should I buy?

As long as you give the vine something to climb on, you could use nearly any variety of wisteria to successfully cover a wall in your house. However, a cultivar with shorter racemes—the term for the flower bunches—rather than extremely long, dangling blossoms would have the nicest appearance.

The finest option for a house’s walls is Wisteria sinensis. Usually, their racemes are no larger than 12 inches. The cultivar “Jako” features lovely, fragrant white flowers. Choose ‘Prolific,’ which will continue to bloom throughout the summer, if you want the classic purple blossoms.

However, it’s always a good idea to weigh native against invasive types while picking Wisteria for your home. Because wisteria is such an aggressive and invasive vine, some places don’t allow certain varieties.

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.

When should wisteria be planted?

Wisterias thrive in full light, fertile soil, and both. Of the 10 species, three are grown the most frequently: Wisteria brachybotrys, Wisteria sinensis, and Wisteria floribunda, which are native to China, Japan, and the eastern United States (silky wisteria). All three species have significant growth rates and can extend out to a maximum of 20 meters (66 feet) against a wall or around 10 meters (33 feet) in trees. Wisteria can also be trained to grow as a free-standing standard in a big container or border.

Wisterias for pergolas and arches

The Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) is best exhibited hanging down from a garden structure like a pergola or arch since it has the longest flower sprays (or racemes) of all the species. They entwine in a clockwise motion while simultaneously bearing blooms and leaves. Lilac blue blooms and racemes as long as 1.2 meters (4 feet) are produced by Wisteria floribunda f. multijuga AGM in the early summer.

Wisterias for walls

Wisteria sinensis, often known as Chinese wisteria, blooms in the springtime before the leaves do. For example, Wisteria sinensis ‘Amethyst’ AGM has violet blue blooms with a reddish flush produced in dense racemes to 30cm (1ft) long in late spring or early summer. They twine anticlockwise and the racemes are shorter so they are best presented against a wall.

Silky wisteria (Wisteria brachybotrys), which can be grown against walls or on pergolas, with downy leaves and small racemes of 10-15cm (4-6in). White flowers with center yellow markings, a strong perfume, and 10-15 cm tall sprays of wisteria brachybotrys f. albiflora ‘Shiro-kapitan’ AGM bloom in the spring and early summer.

If you want to cultivate a wisteria in a big container

It is best to choose Wisteria fructens ‘Amethyst Falls’ because of its compact habit and rich clusters of lilac-blue blooms.

Always choose a wisteria that has been developed from cuttings or by grafting when purchasing one because seed-raised wisterias flower less consistently and take longer to bloom. The graft union should be seen as a swelling close to the stem’s base. Unlike species, named cultivars are virtually always grafted. Purchase your wisteria in flower or go with a specific cultivar to avoid disappointment.

Wisterias are offered for sale as container-grown plants at garden centers and online, and you can use the RHS Find a Plant tool to locate particular cultivars.

Wisteria should ideally be planted between October and April. Wisterias grown in containers can be planted at any time of the year, but fall and winter are the easiest times to maintain. Give them healthy, well-drained soil to plant in.

Wisterias bloom best in full sun, so pick a wall or pergola that faces south or west. Although blossoming will be diminished, they will still grow in light shade.

Wisterias are robust climbers that can grow to a height and width of more than 10 meters (33 feet). You’ll need to give support in the form of wires, trellises, or outside buildings like pergolas or arches against a wall. Wisteria can also be grown up a support or taught up a tree to create a standard. A wisteria can be grown in a border or container by being trained into a standard, which reduces its vigor.

If you want to grow your wisteria in a container, you’ll need a sizable one that is at least 45 cm (18 in) in diameter and is filled with potting soil with a loam basis, like John Innes No. 3.

Feeding

Use Growmore or Fish, Blood and Bone on your wisteria in the spring at the suggested rate listed on the packet. Additionally, apply sulphate of potash at a rate of 20g per sq m (1/2 oz per sq yard) on sandy soils (which have low potassium levels). Fertilizers for flowering shrubs or roses are another option.

Feed wisteria in containers using Miracle-Gro, Phostrogen, or another comparable flowering plant food. A different option is to add controlled-release fertilizer to the compost.

Although wisteria has a reputation for being challenging to prune, this is untrue. Once you’ve made it a habit to prune your wisteria twice a year, you should be rewarded with a pleasing flower show.

When you prune regularly, you reduce the excessive, whippy growth from July and August to five to six leaves, or roughly 30 cm (1ft). This increases the possibility of blossom buds budding and permits the wood to ripen. Then, in February, trim these shoots even more to two or three buds, or around 10 cm (4 in), to tidy up the plant before the growing season starts and make it possible to observe the new flowers.

When your juvenile wisteria has completely covered a wall or other garden structure, start the routine pruning to promote flowering.

Small gardens benefit greatly from the training of wisteria as a free-standing standard in a border or container.

Wisteria can be trained to ascend into a tiny tree’s canopy, however doing so could eventually harm the tree. Pruning will be challenging if the plant develops into a huge tree, and a dense leaf canopy will affect flowering.

Increase your wisteria stocks by layering in the summer, taking softwood cuttings in the spring to mid-summer, or taking hardwood cuttings in the winter since seed-raised wisteria can take up to 20 years to flower.

Wisteria is typically propagated via grafting in professional nurseries, however layering is the simplest and most dependable technique for home gardeners.

Established wisteria can produce hanging, bean-like seedpods after a lengthy summer. While wisteria plants grown from seeds are typically of inferior quality, you might want to try growing wisteria yourself.

After the leaves have fallen, gather the seedpods and let them ripen in an open tray.
When the seed is ready, twist open the pod and sow it 2 cm (3/4 in) deep in seed compost.
Before planting if the seed is dry, soak it for 24 hours.

See our commonly asked questions page for a summary of wisteria issues.

Poor flowering

Poor flowering is the most frequent issue for backyard gardeners, and it can be brought on by a variety of factors, such as:

Young plants can take up to 20 years to flower, so acquire a plant that is already in bloom or go with a certain cultivar because they are typically grafted to avoid disappointment.
Examine your pruning methods and timing because early and midsummer trimming will prevent the growth of flowers the next year.
Wisteria flowers best in broad light; deep shadow produces few, if any, flowers.
Water your wisteria during periods of drought from July to September because a lack of water during this time will influence the development of flower buds the next year.
Flower buds may drop before opening as a result of spring frosts, which can harm or deform growing flowers.
Applying sulphate of potash in the spring will encourage bloom production for the next year in soils that may lack potassium.
The damage caused by pigeons or mice can be identified by torn petals or distinctive teeth marks.