Wisteria: How to Plant, Prune and Care for It

Botany and description

Wisteria is a climbing plant, a true vine! It climbs using its twining stems, which wrap around supports. In the wild, its “tutors” are trees or cliffs. It originates from Asia: China, Japan and Korea, as well as the United States for Wisteria frutescens. Wisteria sinensis can be found growing wild in forest edges in western China.

Although there are around ten species of Wisteria, in cultivation we mainly find Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) and Japanese Wisteria (Wisteria floribunda). Wisteria belongs to the very large Fabaceae family, which includes many useful and edible plants such as beans, broad beans, soybeans and clovers! As well as ornamental plants like Mimosas, Laburnums and Lupins.

Wisteria is very vigorous and fast-growing: it’s not uncommon for its stems to grow over a metre in a single year! Japanese Wisteria climbs by twining around its support clockwise, while Chinese Wisteria twines anti-clockwise.

It reaches spectacular sizes when mature, up to 15 metres tall and 10 metres wide. Exceptionally, rare specimens can reach 25 to 30 metres in length. It lives for a long time: one of the oldest Wisterias in France, located in Bordeaux, is 150 years old!

Wisteria, botanical illustration

Wisterias offer spring flowering from May to June, sometimes as early as April. Chinese Wisteria flowers earlier than Japanese Wisteria: before the leaves appear. Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis), American Wisteria (Wisteria frutescens) and Wisteria venusta sometimes produce a second flowering in summer. Some species may even, very exceptionally, flower three times! This requires specific climatic conditions.

This sublime climber offers pleasantly fragrant flowers in shades of blue, pink, mauve or white. These are very soft tones that bring romance and lightness. Its long hanging clusters give it great elegance! Those of Wisteria floribunda ‘Macrobotrys’ can sometimes reach over a metre long! The plant then seems to be covered by a wonderful cascade of flowers. Wisteria venusta produces much shorter clusters, about twenty centimetres long. Wisteria flowers are nectar-rich: they attract bees and butterflies.

Wisteria has deciduous foliage. Its compound leaves measure between 15 and 40 cm long and are divided into 10 to 20 leaflets. Light green when young, they darken during summer then turn yellow in autumn before falling.

Wisteria roots are very vigorous and powerful. They spread widely near the surface but don’t penetrate deeply into the soil.

After flowering, Wisteria produces large pods about ten centimetres long, resembling those of beans or Laburnums. They have little ornamental value. They contain brown, rounded and flat seeds. You can harvest them for sowing, but you’ll need to wait until they dry and turn brown… and be patient: a Wisteria grown from seed will take many years to flower.

Wisteria is a hardy, easy-to-grow plant that can withstand temperatures of around -15 to -20°C.

There are about ten botanical species. The most commonly cultivated are Chinese Wisteria and Japanese Wisteria, from which horticulturists have created many varieties. These botanical species are:

Wisteria sinensis

Chinese Wisteria is the most common species in cultivation. Its flower clusters are slightly shorter and denser than those of Wisteria floribunda. It flowers a little earlier in spring, before its leaves appear, and often produces a second flowering in summer. There is a white-flowered variety: Wisteria sinensis ‘Alba’.

Wisteria floribunda

Japanese Wisteria offers very fragrant flowers that bloom progressively from the top to the bottom of the cluster. Its clusters are slightly longer and thinner than those of Chinese Wisteria. It also flowers later, allowing flower buds to escape late frosts. This is the species to choose if you live in a region with harsh winters! It only flowers once.

Wisteria venusta

This Wisteria offers superb fragrant pure white flowers. Its clusters are short, only about ten centimetres long. It has beautiful downy leaves. Less vigorous than other species, it is suited to small gardens and container growing. Choose it if you’re short on space! It establishes quickly and may flower in its first year. It’s also known as Wisteria brachybotrys. It sometimes produces a second flowering in summer.

Our Favourite Varieties

The Most Popular Varieties

Our Favourite Varieties:

Rarer Varieties to Discover

Wisteria sinensis Alba

This Chinese Wisteria is particularly elegant with its long clusters of pure white flowers, which can reach up to 60 centimetres in length! Its blooms are fragrant.

• Flowering time May, June
• Height at maturity 9 m

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Wisteria floribunda Macrobotrys

This Wisteria is truly impressive due to its long flower clusters, which sometimes exceed one metre in length! It is very hardy (-20°C). Its flowers are pale mauve. It has been awarded the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

• Flowering time June, July
• Height at maturity 8 m

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Wisteria floribunda Violacea Plena

This variety is striking for its double flowers in a deep violet shade, giving it a sophisticated look. They are lightly scented.

• Flowering time June, July
• Height at maturity 10 m

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Wisteria floribunda Alba

Particularly elegant, this Japanese Wisteria boasts stunning white flowers in very long, slender clusters (up to 60 centimetres long). They are pleasantly fragrant.

• Flowering time June, July
• Height at maturity 10 m

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Wisteria floribunda Domino

This variety features unique flowers combining pale lilac and deep violet, with a yellow spot on the standard. Choose it if you have a small garden or for container growing! It blooms abundantly.

• Flowering time June, July
• Height at maturity 7 m

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Wisteria floribunda Honbeni

This remarkable variety stands out for its pale pink, fragrant blooms in very long clusters (up to 60 cm). It has been awarded the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

• Flowering time June, July
• Height at maturity 10 m

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Wisteria venusta Okayama

This Wisteria, less vigorous than others, is particularly suited to small gardens or container growing! It produces short clusters of lilac-coloured flowers (up to 20 centimetres long).

• Flowering time May, June
• Height at maturity 4 m

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Millettia japonica Satsuma

Also known as Summer Wisteria, this species is highly original and uncommon! It bears dark red-purple flower spikes. Less hardy than other Wisterias, it tolerates temperatures down to -8°C: avoid planting in regions with harsh winters unless grown in a container and brought under cover in winter! Its foliage is semi-evergreen. It flowers later than other varieties.

• Flowering time August to December
• Height at maturity 5 m

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Wisteria floribunda Variegata

This Japanese Wisteria is highly original for its variegated green and creamy-white foliage! It produces fragrant violet-mauve flower clusters, slightly shorter than other Wisterias. Plant it in partial shade to highlight its luminous foliage!

• Flowering time June, July
• Height at maturity 10 m

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Wisteria venusta Rosea

Very romantic, this Wisteria offers delicate pale pink blooms with a pleasant fragrance. It often produces a second flush of flowers later in the year.

• Flowering time June, July
• Height at maturity 5 m

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Planting Wisteria

Where to plant?

Plant Wisteria in full sun. It can tolerate slightly shaded positions, but will flower much more abundantly when planted in sunlight. Don’t hesitate to place it against a south-facing wall! This position will also protect it from cold northerly winds.

It can grow in poor soils, but prefers rich, moist and well-drained conditions. Avoid heavy or clay soils! It favours sandy soils which drain much better. If your soil is heavy, we recommend adding gravel or clay pebbles when planting to prevent waterlogging.

It prefers slightly acidic soils and dislikes chalky ground! These may cause chlorosis, characterised by yellowing foliage.

Provide a sturdy, thick support that can withstand it! Remember that Wisteria is a very vigorous plant that can twist and break supports over time. Choose to grow it against a wall, or on an arbour or pergola. If planting against your house wall, ensure its stems don’t work their way under roof tiles by pruning regularly and training branches in the right direction.

You can also plant it in a large container on a patio. It will then require more attention, with more regular watering and fertiliser applications.

→ Discover our advice sheet on 6 climbing plants to grow in pots on a west-facing balcony

When to plant?

Wisteria is ideally planted in autumn or spring. Avoid planting during frosty periods.

How to plant?

First find a sturdy, robust support, preferably made of wood or metal. Grow it against a wall, in a tree, or over a pergola or arbour. When planting against a wall, maintain at least 50cm distance to prevent damage as it matures.

Simple wire mesh is far too fragile for vigorous Wisteria. Opt for a sturdy pergola instead!

• Soak the rootball in a bucket of water. This improves establishment and makes subsequent watering easier.
• Dig a planting hole two to three times wider than the rootball.
• Add clay pebbles or gravel for drainage to prevent waterlogging.
• Mix in several handfuls of compost.
• Plant: position the rootball without burying the crown. Backfill with soil and firm to ensure good root contact.
• Water thoroughly.
• Train the twining stems around the support to help it climb.

It takes time to establish and often needs several years before flowering. Don’t worry if you don’t see flowers in the first few years.

Caring for Your Wisteria

Pink-flowered Wisteria – Wisteria floribunda rosea – Photo: Meneerke_bloem

Naturally very vigorous, Wisteria does not require fertiliser, unless it fails to flower or is grown in a container. In this case, always choose a fertiliser low in nitrogen and rich in potassium. Otherwise, nitrogen would promote foliage growth at the expense of flowering.

When planted in chalky soil, Wisteria may suffer from chlorosis, which manifests as discolouration and yellowing of the foliage. If the plant is still young and it’s feasible, relocate it and plant it in a container. Otherwise, improve the soil by adding manure or compost.

Although hardy, Wisteria is susceptible to aphids, scale insects, honey fungus and leaf spot disease. Attacks by scale insects or aphids may lead to the appearance of sooty mould. This fungal disease covers the leaves with a black, soot-like layer. It is not particularly dangerous to the plant.

We recommend applying a layer of mulch around the base of your Wisteria to keep the soil cool. Water young plants during the first two or three years, as well as Wisterias planted in containers. In other cases, only water during summer droughts!

Regularly monitor your Wisteria’s growth and train its stems in the desired direction by guiding them around their support. This will prevent them from causing damage by, for example, creeping under roofing or invading other plants.

How to Prune Wisteria?

Vigorous and powerful, Wisteria needs to be pruned regularly, ideally every year. It grows quickly and, unless you’re growing it naturally by letting it climb a tree for example, it’s essential to control its growth. Pruning will help maintain a harmonious shape and encourage flowering! Otherwise, you’ll soon find yourself with an unruly jungle of vegetation.

Regularly pruned and trained, this Wisteria adds a very chic touch to the façade of this house.

Wisteria can be pruned several times a year. Make each cut cleanly, using secateurs, just above a bud. Take the opportunity to remove dead, misshapen or poorly positioned branches.

• Winter pruning:

This pruning helps distribute flowering more evenly, making it more harmonious. Prune outside periods of heavy frost. Cut back outward-growing branches, leaving just two or three buds each time.

• Spring pruning:

The aim is to encourage more abundant flowering and increased branching. Prune in March or April. Cut back green shoots from the previous year, leaving just four or five buds on each branch.

• Summer pruning:

This helps control and direct growth. Cut back stems growing in the wrong direction to guide the plant where you want it, and possibly redirect it towards its support. When shoots are particularly long, shorten them by a third.

It’s also possible to train Wisteria as a standard tree. To do this, plant a stake and tie a stem to it. Don’t wrap it around the support but simply secure it with ties. Prune very regularly to remove side branches and keep only the highest ones. Prune these back to three or four buds.

Wisteria trained as standard trees in a park

Wisteria Propagation

Wisteria can be propagated by cuttings, layering or grafting. We recommend layering as the simplest and quickest method. Growing from seed is more challenging and requires at least six years before flowering occurs – unless you choose Wisteria venusta, which has the advantage of flowering within the first few years.

Layering

You can easily propagate your Wisteria by simple layering during summer.

• Select a long, low-growing and healthy stem.
• Bring it down to the ground. Loosen the soil in this spot, add some compost and dig a shallow trench. Bend the branch towards the soil, make a small cut on the underside of the stem, remove any leaves from this section and place the stem in the trench.
• Cover it with soil. Secure it in place with a stone or a peg. Lift the tip of the branch and tie it to a stake to keep it upright.
• Water thoroughly.

Once the layered stem has developed roots, you can cut it to separate it from the parent plant. You can then pot it up or plant it in its final position.

Occasionally, Wisteria may layer itself naturally when a stem comes into contact with the soil – keep an eye out!

→ Learn more about layering Wisteria in our tutorial!

Cuttings

Wisteria cuttings are best taken after flowering, ideally in June or July.

• Start by preparing a pot: fill it with compost and water to moisten it. Then take a healthy stem, around 10 cm long.
• Make a clean cut just below a node (where leaves attach to the stem). Remove the lower leaves. Insert the cutting into the compost. Firm gently to ensure good contact between the cutting and the soil.
• Place it under cover in a bright spot. Keep the compost moist by watering regularly.

Be patient – it will take several years before flowering occurs.

Grafting

Graft Wisteria in late winter or early spring, between March and April. We recommend the whip-and-tongue grafting technique, using Chinese Wisteria as the rootstock. Grafting is more complex than layering or cuttings, which is why we suggest propagating Wisteria through layering instead.

• Select a scion of the same diameter as the rootstock, ideally pencil-thick.
• Cut the rootstock about 20 cm above the base with secateurs. Trim both scion and rootstock at matching angles (20-30°) using a sharp grafting knife – make cuts around 3 cm long.
• Fit the two parts together and bind them with grafting tape. You can apply grafting wax to aid healing. Water well.

If suckers grow below the graft union, remove them promptly.

Association

Given its exceptional vigour, pairing Wisteria with other plants is always tricky. Care must be taken not to plant it too close to other species, and to combine it with vigorous plants. Otherwise, it may overpower and smother them!

When grown on an arbour, pergola or against a wall, you can pair it with other climbing plants: Rambling Roses, Clematis, Trumpet Vines… And, of course, with other Wisteria varieties: white, blue, mauve or pink-flowering types, as well as Millettia japonica. Don’t hesitate to mix varieties!

With its delicate blooms, Wisteria is an excellent choice for creating a romantic atmosphere! You can plant it at the back of a small perennial and ornamental grass bed. It will add height to the display. Place Delphiniums, Dianthus, Allium or Stipa at its base, accompanied by small shrubs like Ceanothus. For more ideas, take inspiration from this delightful romantic setting.

A charming combination for a white garden: Japanese Wisteria (Wisteria venusta), Delphinium elatum double Innocence, Allium stipitatum Album and Dianthus arenarius

You can also let it climb into a tree! Provided you choose a large, healthy and vigorous specimen, such as a beech or oak. Your tree will then offer a surprising spectacle in spring, covered in blue, mauve or white flowers.

Wisteria produces such a stunning display of blooms that it looks magnificent when planted as a standalone. Don’t hesitate to train it into a tree form, placing it, for example, in the middle of a lawn. Its dazzling flowering will be even more striking!

Did you know?

• Wisterias as bonsai!

As Wisterias are easy to grow, tolerate pruning well and are very vigorous, they can be trained as bonsai! They make superb miniature trees. Preferably choose species with short racemes: they will have a more harmonious and balanced appearance. Wisteria frutescens or Milletia japonica are particularly well-suited for this purpose!

• Size record!

A gigantic Wisteria in Sierra Madre, California, covers nearly 4,000 square metres! It’s registered in the Guinness World Records. Planted in 1892, it’s now one of the largest climbing plants in the world.

• A walk under cascades of flowers!

In Japan, the Kawachi Fuji Garden is famous for its two long tunnels, 220 and 80 metres long, which in April-May become completely covered in Wisteria flowers! There are nearly 150 plants, representing about twenty different species. Imagine strolling through this garden, under a sky filled with thousands of flowers and their intoxicating fragrance!

A tunnel of 150 wisterias at Kawachi Garden – Fukuoka – Japan – Source: pauldingcountyareafoundation.net