How To Choose The Right Wisteria

The beauty of the pendulous racemes hanging down to form a colorful curtain of scented flowers in spring and summer, the elegant foliage, the fascinating drooping seed pods, the fall colors of most varieties, and the attractive gnarled trunks and twisted branches in winter, make Wisteria one of the best ornamental vines.

Most gardeners are unaware of the wide range of characteristics offered by Wisteria species and their cultivars in terms of bloom season, fragrance, length of flower clusters (racemes), flower colors, and fall foliage. Consequently, one can not eliminate varieties merely by color alone.

Moreover, Wisterias are slow to establish. It might be far more satisfying to buy a variety known to produce flowers early, regardless of color or size of bloom, rather than to wait years for the plant to produce its first flowers. Go for named varieties propagated from cuttings, buds, or grafts. They will start blooming within the first couple of years after planting. Avoid buying seedlings as they may take 10 to 20 years to bloom.​

Wisteria Species

• There are about nine species of Wisterias in North America and eastern Asia. Wisteria sinensis (Chinese Wisteria) and Wisteria floribunda (Japanese Wisteria) have far outstripped the others in popularity, at least in northern gardens, because of their profuse blooms, large flower clusters, their color variety, and fragrance.
• Wisteria sinensis – Chinese Wisteria. Vigorous climber, twining anticlockwise. Leaves with 9-13 elliptical or oval-shaped leaflets, which are usually copper or bronze when young. Scented blue-violet, violet, or reddish-violet flowers appear with the leaves in dense racemes of 25-95 blooms. About 12 in. long (30cm), the racemes form a fragrant flower curtain buzzing with bees in late spring or early summer. Chinese Wisterias bloom in the sun or in partial shade.
• Wisteria floribunda – Japanese Wisteria. Vigorous climber, twining clockwise. Leaves with 13-19 elliptical or oval-shaped leaflets, which are usually pale green or bronze when young and generally turn yellow in fall. Scented violet flowers appear with the leaves in pendulous racemes, about 12 in. long (30 cm), in late spring or early summer. This splendid species has given rise to many cultivars, some having dramatic racemes up to 4 ft. long (120 cm)! More decorative than Wisteria sinensis, Japanese Wisteria remains in bloom longer and features a graceful growth habit and attractive fall colors. However, it requires a little more care in its training and pruning to obtain the best results. They bloom best in full sun.
• Wisteria brachybotrys – Silky Wisteria (Wisteria venusta). A vigorous climber from Japan, twining anticlockwise. Leaves with 9-11 leaflets have silky hair and turn golden-yellow in the fall. Broad racemes of strongly scented, heavy-textured flowers bloom early in the season and appear with the leaves. Short, 6 in. long (15 cm), the racemes feature flowers that open all at once in late spring. Silky Wisterias bloom best in full sun.
• Wisteria frutescens – American Wisteria. Slender, vigorous climber, twining anticlockwise. Leaves with 11-15 leaflets. Faintly scented racemes of 30-65 blue-violet flowers look modest compared to those of the Asiatic species. Flowering occurs when the foliage is well-developed so that the blooms are hidden by the foliage. Native to the east coast from Virginia to Florida and Texas, American Wisteria, while vigorous, is less invasive than the Asian species. Today, it is not widely grown.
• Wisteria macrostachya – Kentucky Wisteria. Slender, vigorous climber, twining anticlockwise. Leaves with 7-11 leaflets. Faintly scented racemes of 70-80 pale violet flowers which bloom late in the season, after the leaves are developed, so that the blooms can be considerably hidden by the foliage. Easy to control and tolerant of wet soils, this American native is not widely grown.

Wisteria Blooms Sequence

Typically, Wisterias bloom throughout a 4-5 week period starting in late spring with Wisteria brachybotrys (Silky Wisteria), the earliest, and ending with Wisteria macrostachya (Kentucky Wisteria), which blooms after the others have all faded.

Wisteria with the strongest Fragrance

All Wisterias are scented. Some varieties release a musky fragrance, while others exude a sweet scent. Their fragrance ranges from faint to strong to almost overpowering. Most of the cultivars of Wisteria floribunda, Wisteria sinensis, and Wisteria brachybotrys are noted for their delicious scent. Among the most richly fragrant cultivars are ‘Murasaki Kapitan‘ (sweet), ‘Okayama‘ (sweet), ‘Shiro Kapitan‘ (sweet),  ‘Kuchi-Beni‘ (musky), ‘Lawrence‘ (sweet), ‘Royal Purple‘ (sweet) or ‘Jako‘ (musky).

Length of Wisteria Clusters

The length of the Wisteria clusters (or racemes) varies with the species, variety, and growing conditions. The same variety might produce longer or shorter clusters depending on weather and growing conditions. Moreover, the flower clusters will get longer as the plant matures and becomes well-established.

• Wisteria frutescens has the shortest clusters, about 2-5 in. long (5-7 cm), thus eliminating it as a spectacular ornamental vine.
• Wisteria floribunda has the longest, some of its varieties having clusters 36 in. long (90 cm). Most floribunda cultivars range between 12-14 in. long (30-35 cm).

The length of Wisteria racemes is an important factor to consider when buying.

• If you wish to cover a pergola, the best effect will be obtained by Wisterias with long racemes. Wisteria floribunda, which has the longest racemes of all the species, provides a dramatic display on garden structures such as pergolas where the racemes can hang free, unimpeded by branches or foliage.
• If you wish to cover a wall, while most wisterias would be effectively grown in this manner, the short-racemed Wisterias would be more successful. Wisteria sinensis is the species most suitable for walls where its shortish racemes are displayed to advantage.
• Here is a list of Wisteria cultivars organized by their raceme lengths.

Wisteria Colors

Wisterias are available in a wide range of colors ranging from white, lavender-blue, lilac, pink mauve, purple lilac, and rich pink. While color is a matter of taste, it should be noted that some Wisteria cultivars exhibit remarkable flower colors such as ‘Alba‘ (white), ‘Kuchi-Beni‘ (pale pink), ‘Rosea‘ (pale pink), ‘Lawrence‘ (pale blue), ‘Macrobothrys‘ (pale violet), ‘Royal Purple‘ (deep violet) or ‘Violacea Plena‘ (double deep violet).

Wisteria with Attractive Fall Foliage

Wisterias are deciduous climbers. Despite the fact that they lose their leaves in the fall, some varieties and cultivars reward us first with brilliant golden-yellow foliage before falling. Most Wisteria floribunda display attractive fall colors, but ‘Violacea Plena‘ is by far the best, with its foliage turning butter-yellow.
A few other cultivars are also displaying remarkable fall colors such as ‘Rosea‘, ‘Kuchi-Beni‘, ‘Lawrence‘, ‘Macrobothrys‘, or ‘Royal Purple‘.

Popular Wisteria Varieties

If you are still undecided about which species or cultivar to select for your garden, you may want to review the most popular Wisteria varieties or those rewarded with prestigious awards.