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Illustrated Pruning & Planting Guide is the resource for complete, research-based pruning and planting information. This comprehensive CD-ROM by Dr. E... more
 
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   The genus belonging to Fabaceae (Bean family) was named after Dr. Caspar Wistar (1761-1818), a professor of anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania. There are approximately 20-22 species in the Wisteria genus.

   Wisterias are very hardy fast-growing vines. They can grow in most places and in some areas they are thought of as a weed. They are all woody climbing vines but can be trained as bonsai or a tree. You can find different types of Wisteria all over the world but it is native to the eastern part of the United States, East Asian countries of China, Korea and Japan.
   It has become a very popular ornamental and is treasured for the beautiful elongated clumps of flowers and of course the scent is wonderful.
   The leaves are alternate, 15-35 cm long, pinnate, with 9-19 leaflets. The beautiful flowers are produced in pendulous racermes 10-80 cm long, in colors of purple, violet, pink or white.
   The more popular Wisteria species include:
Wisteria brachybotrys Siebold & Zuccher (1826.)
Wisteria venusta Rehder & E.H. Wilson (1916.) - Silky Wisteria
Wisteria floribunda (Willdeman) DeCandolle (1828.) - Japanese Wisteria
Wisteria frutescens- (Linnaeus) Poiret (1823.) - American Wisteria
Wisteria japonica Siebold & Zuccher (1839.)
Wisteria macrostachya - Kentucky Wisteria
Wisteria sinenis - (Sims) Sweet (1826.) - Chinese Wisteria
Wisteria villosa Rehder (1926.)
Wisteria sinensis
   The long, showy inflorescences of Wisteria sinensis (Sims) Sweet (1826.) are highly decorative springtime sights.

   This large climber has a form sporting pure white flowers, which lit the fantasies of famous taxonomists from Lindley through Lemaire to Rehder and E.H. Wilson, elevating the anthocyanine syntesis mutant to the varietas alba rank then downlisting it as just a form of the wild species.

   Well, the white form is a bit less vigorous grower, has a definitely looser inflorescence but that's just about all as far as the differences are concerned.

   It is considered an invaseive species many areas. I grow a Wisteria that has been trained and grown as tree in my backyard. The cascading flowers in the spring is quite a sight to see. We have to prune it constantly throughout the growing season or it would reach out and start growing on our roof.
   In my front yard I have an old tree that was not doing well and instead of cutting it down we decided to plant a Wisteria next to it. The vines have taken over the tree and now reaches to the top about 25 feet. We do not prune this vine and have allowed it to fill the tree and all of its branches. It is really a sight in the summer when it is all out in bloom.
  Wisteria is an aggressive grower which can quickly clog gutters, and even invade the foundations of homes, and cause other physical damage if not controlled. Whatever the support you use it must be very sturdy, because old Wisteria can grow into strong and heavy vines with large trunks. These will certainly rend latticework, crush thin wooden posts, and can even strangle large trees. (As mine did).

   Water heavily before the Wisteria blooms and while it is out in bloom.
   Feeding should be minimized during and immediately following flowering. Fertilize heavily in spring before flowering and in late summer and autumn, until the leaves drop.

   To increase the amount of flowers in the spring remove any seed pods as soon as they appear so that the plant does not expend strength developing seeds. Another reason to remove these seed pods are the seeds and seed pods of Wisteria are poisonous.

   Wisteria can be propagated by hardwood cutting, softwood cuttings, seed or are grafted. You will not want to try your hand with the seeds since it can take many, many years for the plants to bloom.

   Another reason for failure to bloom can be excessive fertilizer (particularly nitrogen). For years I grew a Wisteria next to my greenhouse trying everything from physically abusing the main trunk, root pruning, and drought (so I thought).

   A year after we moved I drove by my old house and my Wisteria was in full bloom. I discovered that the roots had been thriving on all of the nitrogen I was using in my greenhouse for my orchids! The excess fertilizer my Wisteria was absorbing kept it from blooming all those years. Once we moved the greenhouse it was not receiving the fertilizer and began to bloom.