Chinese Wisteria, Japanese Wisteria, Silky Wisteria, Wisteria sinensis, Wisteria floribunda, Wisteria brachybotrys
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.
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.
Week 1 | Wisteria venusta and varieties |
Week 2 | Wisteria floribunda macrobotrys, Wisteria formosa, Wisteria sinensis, and varieties |
Week 3 | Wisteria floribunda and varieties |
Week 4 | Wisteria macrostachya |
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).
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.
The length of Wisteria racemes is an important factor to consider when buying.
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).
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‘.
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.
Hardiness |
5 - 8 |
---|---|
Heat Zones |
5 - 8 |
Climate Zones | 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 |
Plant Type | Climbers |
Genus | Wisteria |
Exposure | Full Sun, Partial Sun |
Season of Interest | Spring (Late), Summer (Early, Mid), |
Maintenance | High |
Water Needs | Average |
Soil Type | Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand |
Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained |
Characteristics | Fragrant, Plant of Merit, Showy |
Tolerance | Drought, Deer |
Attracts | Butterflies |
Landscaping Ideas | Wall-Side Borders, Arbors, Pergolas, Trellises, Walls And Fences |
Garden Styles | City and Courtyard, Informal and Cottage, Mediterranean Garden |
sepavo / 123RF Stock Photo
Hardiness |
5 - 8 |
---|---|
Heat Zones |
5 - 8 |
Climate Zones | 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 |
Plant Type | Climbers |
Genus | Wisteria |
Exposure | Full Sun, Partial Sun |
Season of Interest | Spring (Late), Summer (Early, Mid), |
Maintenance | High |
Water Needs | Average |
Soil Type | Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand |
Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained |
Characteristics | Fragrant, Plant of Merit, Showy |
Tolerance | Drought, Deer |
Attracts | Butterflies |
Landscaping Ideas | Wall-Side Borders, Arbors, Pergolas, Trellises, Walls And Fences |
Garden Styles | City and Courtyard, Informal and Cottage, Mediterranean Garden |
Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.
Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.
Join now and start creating your dream garden!
Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.
Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.
Join now and start creating your dream garden!