Wisteria is a stunning flowering vine reminiscent of the deep south. The cascading nature of its lilac-colored flowers leads the imagination to believe that you’ve stumbled into a real-life fairy garden. Anyone who is lucky enough to grow the sweet-smelling wisteria in their own backyard will quickly see just how enchanting this plant is, but there are a few care tips and tricks to be aware of first.
Wisteria likes to grow best in full sun, but it will tolerate some shade. Once fully established, this gorgeous vine can grow quite rapidly, getting as tall as 10 to 30 feet. You will most likely see wisteria spread noticeably in the first year it’s planted.
The wonderful thing about wisteria is that once it’s established, there’s very little additional care it needs. Wisterias are quite independent plants, and the creeping, twining growth pattern of the vine is so rapid that an added boost from fertilizer is unnecessary. Wisteria is also drought tolerant, so aside from the initial planting, it needs very little watering.
Another reason to forgo fertilizing and watering is that wisteria actually requires being under stress in order to develop flower buds. The iconic flowers will begin to bloom in spring and last to summer, but once cooler temperatures start to settle in, the plant goes dormant, losing its flowers and its leaves.
Finally, it’s important to note that while wisteria is beautiful to look at, it can also be dangerous. All parts of wisteria contain a saponin called wisterin, which is poisonous to both humans and animals. Therefore, it’s wise to remove all of the seedpods after the plant has flowered and to keep an eye on any pets or young children who might be inclined to pop a seed or two in their mouth.
Perhaps the biggest reason wisteria gives even the most knowledgeable gardeners pause is that it can be quite unruly if not properly maintained. That is to say that wisteria is not a low-maintenance plant.
Wisteria vines are known to grow rapidly and can be quite aggressive, so it’s important to note how close it’s growing to any other nearby plants. In natural environments, wisteria is considered to be quite invasive if left to run rampant, even twining itself around trees and eventually strangling them! Some people also caution against growing wisteria too close to your home as the vines are notorious for delving into any cracks and crevices they find.
When the leafy vines are thick and full, wisteria has a mounding growth habit and, as a result, can get quite heavy. The vines need a sturdy structure that they can grow on, such as a metal trellis or heavy wooden pergola, and require regular pruning.
As wisteria is mainly grown for its sprawling fragrant flowers, it’s important to know that their flowers will only bloom on “new” wood. What this means is that you’ll need to prune your wisteria regularly in order to stimulate flower growth.
There are a few different ways you can prune wisteria that will depend on how you want it to look. A good rule of thumb is to give the entire plant a good pruning in winter, where you’ll remove up to half of the previous growth.
For a polished look, you’ll want to prune once again during the summer after your wisteria has flowered. While established plants will bloom in abundance, it’s important to note that initial bloom periods for freshly planted wisteria can be quite slow. These plants can take up to two or even three years to bloom for the first time, so be patient!
It’s possible to grow wisteria from seed; however, we don’t recommend it. It may be decades before you would see the first blooms of seed-grown wisteria as the plant won’t flower until they’ve reached full maturity.
With the right tactics, wisteria can make an excellent natural privacy screen or shade cover. All you need to do is decide where and how you want your wisteria to grow. We recommend a sturdy metal arbor or pergola to really take advantage of the gorgeous natural hanging growth pattern.
We suggest metal arbors or pergolas because of the impressive grip of the wisteria vines. Well-established, mature vines can grow to be as thick as a person’s wrist and have the power to crush or collapse structures made of lightweight wood. The best way to avoid this is to start with a durable structure that won’t be quick to yield.
Another thing to be aware of when growing wisteria is that it’s a long-term commitment. Once it becomes a well-established feature to your yard, well, it may be extremely difficult to remove. For this reason, it’s important to carefully design where and how you want to grow it. On the plus side, though, you and your family will get to enjoy it for years to come!
Once you see the springtime blooms, wisteria proves again and again just how worth growing it really is. Stop in any of our locations to see the wisteria plants we have for sale—we’d be more than happy to assist you!
At Greenstreet Gardens, we take pride in the fact that our number one goal is to make our customers successful.
Equipped with a diverse wealth of information and a knowledgeable staff, we are confident that we are able to provide all of the right tools and plant material necessary to help make your gardening ideas become reality.
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