Wisteria floribunda Violacea Plena

The Japanese Wisteria or Wisteria floribunda Violacea Plena, also marketed under the name Black Dragon, is an ancient variety with double flowers that is always appreciated for the abundance and beauty of its spring flowers. Its long hanging clusters adorned with purple buds open into double flowers, mauve and white, slightly fragrant. They appear among the already developed foliage, about a week after those of the Chinese wisteria. This vigorous climbing plant is easy to grow... but it can be cumbersome for its neighbouring plants, which it tends to displace.

Wisteria floribunda Violacea Plena is a horticultural selection introduced from Japan by Francis Parkmann (USA) in 1869. Its wild ancestor, the Japanese wisteria, called Wisteria floribunda in Latin, is a climbing plant with a large size and rapid growth belonging to the large Fabaceae family, just like clover, alfalfa, or lupins. It is native to Japanese forests and was introduced to Europe in the mid-19th century. Its long stems lignify with age. Sometimes a bit slow to establish, it is a robust plant, resistant to cold, not very demanding in terms of soil (although it does not tolerate excess active limestone), capable of growing in poor and dry soils in summer if they are deep. Its roots are deep and trailing.

This 'Black Dragon' cultivar develops stems that easily reach 10m (33ft) in length and spontaneously wrap around supports. The growth of new shoots is very fast, reaching several metres in the space of a season in moist soil. Flowering takes place after that of Chinese wisterias, in May-June. It develops on already leafy branches located not far from the lignified main stems. It takes the form of butterfly-like flower clusters, double, pendulous, 30 to 40cm (12 to 16in) long, less fragrant than those of Chinese wisteria, but well spaced on the vegetation. They open successively, from the base to the tip of the cluster. The petals, dark violet at first, then fade to mauve, almost white. The young leaves, bronze in colour, appear before flowering and then turn a light green. They are 20 to 30cm (8 to 12in) long and divided into 13 to 19 ovate leaflets, giving the foliage a light appearance. Before falling in autumn, the leaves take on a beautiful yellow ochre colour, bright and warm. Very long-lasting, the Japanese Wisteria can live well over 50 years. Its flowering is nectar-rich.

The 'Violacea Plena' Japanese wisteria is an excellent romantic plant. A queen in the realm of climbing plants capable of enhancing a facade or structure, no matter how modest. This vibrant plant often survives in old neglected gardens, passed down by the person who planted it. It is also particularly useful for covering a wall or unsightly fence. It wraps itself around a fence or trellis without restraint if left to its own devices and tends to smother the surrounding plants. Choose a solitary location, in full sun or partial shade in warm climates. Or combine it with honeysuckles that are as powerful as it, such as Lonicera x delavayi, evergreen, with its fragrant yellow summer flowers, or Banks rose 'Alba Plena', thornless and covered in small white pompons in May. The floribunda wisteria also gets along very well with Clematis montana.

However, be patient: the first flowering of the Wisteria may not appear until several years after planting, depending on the growing conditions. Grafted plants flower at a younger age.