Wisteria frutescens or Amerious native perennial invites images of lost gentility . . . even if it never really happened.

can wisteria is a woody, deciduous, climbing vine native to the wet forests and stream banks of the southeastern United States with a growing range stretching from the states of Virginia to East Texas extending southeast through Florida and north to New York and the Central Midwest extending into southern Minnesota.

Fragrant, pea-like, lilac-purple or blue flowers will develop in April-May after the leaves emerge. Sometimes some additional blooming will develop in the summer.  Although the flowers are usually blueish, some cultivars will produce white or dark burgundy blooms, or even have hints of yellow or green.

If you are going to give American wisteria a go, you should of course provide some fairly sturdy trellising as the plant can grow as tall as 15 to 40 feet and 4 to 8 feet wide.  Wisteria likes full sun (6 + hours per day) but will soldier along in part shade (2-6 hours of direct sunlight).  Blooming might be a problem if it is overly shaded.  It will do well in either clay or loam but good drainage of moist, occasionally wet soil is important.  Wisteria also likes acid soil with pH tending toward 6.0 which is why it does well on a moist forest border.  It acts as a host for larval forms of several butterflies and functions as an important nectar source for both bees and butterflies.  

American wisteria is relatively resistant to most pests, although honey fungus can be a problem as are a number of chewing insects.  Deer and rabbits don’t usually consider wisteria as their first choice on the menu.  Flowering usually occurs in the second or third year although not always, so be patient!  Failure to bloom may be due to too much shade as we said, so choose your site well.  

Wisteria frutescens does not like to be transplanted.  Frost damage or over fertilization may sometimes be the causes of non-flowering.  A judicious application of 10-10-10 in the spring usually suffices.  Also, since it is hardy only to Zone 5A, it might be prudent to mulch heavily in the fall in a southern Minnesota garden.  Some nice cultivars to look for in your local nursery include “Alba” and “Nivea” with white flowers, “Magnifica” and “Swantly Purple”.  “Amethyst Falls” produces a lovely, lightly fragrant lavender-purple bloom.

Pruning should usually be done in the spring after flowering to control the size and spread of the plant.  American wisteria does well as an accent to native or pollinator gardens especially on slopes, banks or rock walls.  Regardless of placement it will add a colorful, fragrant and, perhaps romantic element to your landscape.

Photo Credit: USDA (1), Bev Wagar, NC State Extension (2)