Wisteria

Wisteria is a deciduous vine belonging to the pea family that originated from eastern parts of the United States and Asia.  This woody vine grows on deep, fertile, well-drained soil in areas that provide plenty of sun like edges of forests, ditches and roadsides.   Wisteria has smooth or hairy, grey, brown or reddish colored stem which twines around nearby trees, shrubs and various man made structures.

This beautiful vine produces white, pink, purple or blue colored flowers arranged in long dropping clusters.  All flowers open at the same time, or one after another, depending on the species.  It produces flowers with both types of reproductive organs.  Blooming during the spring and summer, wisteria flowers emit a grape like smell.  Bees and hummingbirds are responsible for the pollination of these plants.

Wisteria’s fruit is pale green to light brown velvety seed pod filled with one to six seeds.  Once the fruit is ripe, it explodes and ejects seeds away from the mother plant. The seed is actually poisonous, but flowers of some species can be used in human diet and for the manufacturing of wine.  All parts of Chinese wisteria, the most popular species with fragrant lavender-blue flowers, contain toxic substances causing nausea, vomiting and diarrhea when ingested.

Wisteria reaches maturity late in life, producing flowers 6 to 10 years after sowing.  In some places, Chinese wisteria is classified as an invasive weed due to its aggressive nature and ability to quickly kill the host.  It can form dense thickets throughout forests, preventing the growth of other native plant species.  Pruning is required to keep plants neat and manageable, while encouraging new blooms.

In the language of flowers, wisteria signifies “over passionate love” or “obsession”, referring to the choking nature of the vine.  This hearty perennial plant can reach 65 feet in height, sometimes growing 10 feet in one year and surviving in the wild for 100 years!

Today, many of us cultivate this attractive plant along porches, walls, arches and fences.  Consider wisteria, when looking to add more color, fragrance and that “wow factor” to your landscape and gardening plans.

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/wisteria-frutescens/

https://www.softschools.com/facts/plants/wisteria_facts/2192/

https://funflowerfacts.wordpress.com/2013/07/09/fun-flower-facts-wisteria/

https://www.gardendesign.com/wisteria/

https://www.gardenista.com/posts/plant-of-the-week-wisteria/

http://info.ncagr.gov/blog/2016/04/06/wisteria-hysteria/