Wisteria sinensis
Wisteria
Common names: Chinese Wisteria, Blue Wisteria
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −23 °C
- Spacing
- 200 cm, rows 300 cm
- Water need
- Medium
Photo: RedCoat · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
The blue wisteria transforms every house wall into a waterfall of blue‑violet flower clusters in May, emitting a delightful fragrance. As a vigorous climber, it can cover entire pergolas in a few years and requires a massive, well‑anchored support structure. All plant parts, especially the seeds, are toxic.
Care instructions
Place the wisteria in a sunny, warm spot with nutrient‑rich soil and a sturdy metal or thick post climbing aid. Prune consistently twice a year: in late July (week 30) cut the long summer shoots to about five buds, and in February (week 7) again to two or three buds, this forces flowering rather than foliage. Water regularly in the first years until it is well established.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
loamy, humus-rich, well-drained, lime-avoiding
Plant Chinese wisteria in fresh, deep and well-drained soil with plenty of humus; it avoids heavy soils with waterlogging. It likes neutral to slightly acidic soil (roughly pH 5.5 to 7.0); on strongly chalky soil it can show iron chlorosis with yellowish leaves, but it is not a true acid-lover like the blueberry. On heavy clay, loosen the soil with mature compost before planting and ensure drainage.
Feeding
Light feeder
Months
Mar, Apr, Jul
As a legume, Chinese wisteria supplies itself with nitrogen through nodule bacteria. Do not give it a nitrogen-heavy fertiliser, as that only drives leaf growth instead of flowers. In spring, work some mature compost shallowly into the root zone; on poorer soils a second, smaller dose until about July helps. From high summer, stop feeding so that the wood can ripen. On well-supplied garden soils the annual dose of compost is entirely sufficient.
Overwintering
Established Chinese wisteria outdoors survive the winter in the lowlands of Germany, Austria and Switzerland without protection and tolerate well below -15 °C; mulch young plants loosely around the root base in their first years and put them in a wind-sheltered spot. Fresh shoots in spring are more frost-tender than the wood. If late frost is forecast, lay fleece over the buds, and wrap containers and move them to a sheltered house wall.
Propagation
Methods
- Cuttings
- Layering
- From seed
Layering (most reliable method): In early summer, choose a strong shoot close to the ground. Lightly score the bark at the spot that will later lie in the soil, lay the shoot down there and pin it with a wire staple. Cover the scored section with humus-rich soil and keep it constantly lightly moist. After 6 to 12 months the layer has rooted. Only then separate it from the mother plant and replant it.
Cuttings (summer, unlignified): In early summer, cut soft shoots 10 to 15 cm long, each with 2 to 3 pairs of leaves. Remove the lower leaves, insert the cutting into a mix of seed compost and sand or perlite and place it somewhere bright and warm (at least 20 °C). Cover the pot with clear film or put it in a mini greenhouse so that the humidity stays high. Always keep the substrate lightly moist and avoid waterlogging. Roots can form after several weeks up to a year; the rooting rate is lower than with layering.
Sowing (only for experiments, not true to type): Collect seeds from ripe, dry pods in autumn or buy them in spring. Soak the seeds in lukewarm water for 24 hours, then sow them about 1 to 2 cm deep in seed compost with sand. Place somewhere warm (20 to 23 °C) and bright, and keep the substrate evenly moist. Germination is possible after 4 to 8 weeks. Important: plants grown from seed only flower after 10 to 20 years and rarely match the variety of the mother plant. For true-to-type offspring, layering is therefore always recommended.
Caution: All parts of the Chinese wisteria are poisonous. Wear gloves when working with it.
Companion planting
Good neighbors
cabbage family (Brassicaceae)
particularly well establishedLeguminous plants collect nitrogen in the soil, from which Brassicaceae benefit as heavy feeders.
For example White cabbageKohlrabiRadishKalebroccolicauliflower and 41 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
carrot family (Apiaceae)
Peas and beans provide carrot and celery with nitrogen and grow as shallow-rooted plants without competition next to each other.
For example CarrotCeleriacDillParsleyFlorence fennelCoriander and 21 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
Rather not
amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae)
particularly well establishedAllium species inhibit the nitrogen‑fixing rhizobia of legumes through their root exudates, which slows their growth.
For example GarlicOnionLeekChivesWild daffodilRocambole and 12 more species in the catalogue
Source: basic crop‑rotation rule
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
For your garden
Grow Wisteria yourself
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