Wisteria – Your Gardening Majestic Beauty

The wisteria plant is an opulent grower and the bounties of growing this copious climber are many. While most gardeners choose to grow wisteria as a tightly trained vine, wisteria also thrives when fashioned as a small tree or shrub. No matter how you choose to display your wisteria, it’s a majestic plant that makes a spectacular statement.

Origin of the Wisteria

Wisteria Glycinia takes its name from the Greek word for sweet, “glykys”, and many gardeners still refer to the plant as Glycine. In 1818, the plant was named by naturalist Thomas Nuttall to honor the distinguished botanist, and University of Pennsylvania professor, Dr. Casper Wistar.

To date, there are fewer than 10 wisteria varieties available, and those plants fall into two types. Botanists identify wisteria as those that weave to the left and those that twine to the right. Knowing the plant’s growth shifting propensity aids growers when considering plant placement, and also helps in plant identification.

The two most common and popular wisteria are the Chinese and Japanese varieties.

• Japanese Wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) which coils from right to left, is the hardiest of all wisteria and is available in violet blue, white or pink. Its flowers have an enticingly sweet fragrance and cascade in clusters reaching up to 36 inches in length. Native to Japan this wisteria does well in northern climates, but can be sensitive to harsh late-spring frosts.
• Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinesis) are not quite as extravagant as their botanical cousins, and their blue or white flower clusters unfurl to a modest 12 inches. The Chinese wisteria is uniquely attractive though, as the flowers appear prior to the leaves in spring, and the cluster blooms open all at once.

Wisteria Varieties Native to the United States

The American and Kentucky varieties are the two most familiar to the States. Both of these wisteria types are hardy, fast growing, trainable and breath-taking plants. Their blooms are fragrant and lovely, but their flowers are considerably smaller than the Asian varieties.

The Kentucky wisteria is favored by the more northern climates and even does well into some Canadian regions. All wisteria plants prefer a sunny spot for peak performance and optimum plant health.

Gardening Wisteria

Wisteria are considered relatively drought tolerant and thrive nicely in a nourished, well draining soil. Many garden enthusiasts refer to wisteria as an aggressive grower. They can reach lengths of over 100 feet, growing as much as 10 feet in a single season.

Because of the wisteria’s propensity for growth, it is imperative to stay on top of pruning when considering your wisteria plant’s design. For the best results, most gardeners prune their wisteria twice yearly. The peak time to trim wisteria is about 2-4 weeks after flowering, then a bit later in the season, pruning back the the previously trimmed side shoots.

Wisteria is an extremely versatile plant that can be utilized in a wide variety of garden spaces. Colorful cascades of sweet smelling wisteria are pleasing to the eye whether grown as an arch covering vine, a central focus gardening tree, or a festive, yet subtle blooming bush. When gardening with wisteria, the sky is literally the limit.

Source:

• Wied, Ann, “This Pretty Planting is Mighty Vine”, Birds and Blooms, April/May 1998, Pg.52-53