Wisteria Species, Chinese Wisteria
Wisteria sinensis
Family: | Fabaceae (fab-AY-see-ee) (Info) |
Genus: | Wisteria (wis-TEER-ee-uh) (Info) |
Species: | sinensis (sy-NEN-sis) (Info) |
Synonym: | Glycine sinensis |
Synonym: | Millettia chinensis |
Synonym: | Rehsonia sinensis |
Synonym: | Wisteria chinensis |
Synonym: | Wisteria praecox |

Category:
Vines and Climbers
Water Requirements:
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Sun Exposure:
Sun to Partial Shade
Foliage:
Deciduous
Smooth
Foliage Color:
Height:
15-20 ft. (4.7-6 m)
20-30 ft. (6-9 m)
Spacing:
15-20 ft. (4.7-6 m)
20-30 ft. (6-9 m)
Hardiness:
USDA Zone 5a: to -28.8 °C (-20 °F)
USDA Zone 5b: to -26.1 °C (-15 °F)
USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3 °C (-10 °F)
USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5 °C (-5 °F)
USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 °C (0 °F)
USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 °C (5 °F)
USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 °C (10 °F)
USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 °C (15 °F)
USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 °C (20 °F)
USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)
USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
Where to Grow:
Danger:
Seed is poisonous if ingested
All parts of plant are poisonous if ingested
Bloom Color:
Lavender
Bloom Characteristics:
This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds
Bloom Size:
Bloom Time:
Mid Spring
Other details:
May be a noxious weed or invasive
Soil pH requirements:
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
Patent Information:
Non-patented
Propagation Methods:
From woody stem cuttings
From semi-hardwood cuttings
Self-sows freely; deadhead if you do not want volunteer seedlings next season
Seed Collecting:
Allow pods to dry on plant; break open to collect seeds
Seed does not store well; sow as soon as possible
Regional
This plant is said to grow outdoors in the following regions:
Haleyville, Alabama
Jones, Alabama
Lowndesboro, Alabama
Montevallo, Alabama
Smiths, Alabama
Vincent, Alabama
Phoenix, Arizona
Hartford, Arkansas
Auburn, California
Canoga Park, California
GARBERVILLE, California
Hesperia, California
Lakewood, California
Oakhurst, California
Phelan, California
San Diego, California(2 reports)
San Leandro, California
Northfield, Connecticut
Wilmington, Delaware
Inverness, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida(2 reports)
Keystone Heights, Florida
Vero Beach, Florida
Yulee, Florida
Columbus, Georgia
Hinesville, Georgia
Winterville, Georgia
Sandpoint, Idaho
Chicago, Illinois
Thomasboro, Illinois
Avon, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana(2 reports)
Macy, Indiana
Louisville, Kentucky
Mer Rouge, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
Slaughter, Louisiana
Hubbardston, Massachusetts
Mashpee, Massachusetts
Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts
Buchanan, Michigan
Madison, Mississippi
Mathiston, Mississippi
Waynesboro, Mississippi
Brunswick, Missouri
Joplin, Missouri
Rolla, Missouri
Exeter, New Hampshire
Milford, New Hampshire
Collingswood, New Jersey
Jamesburg, New Jersey
West Orange, New Jersey
Brooklyn, New York
Elba, New York
Ithaca, New York
Concord, North Carolina
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Henderson, North Carolina
Pinehurst, North Carolina
Statesville, North Carolina
Wilsons Mills, North Carolina
Orrville, Ohio
Hulbert, Oklahoma
Portland, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Albrightsville, Pennsylvania
Templeton, Pennsylvania
Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Tiverton, Rhode Island
Bonneau, South Carolina
Conway, South Carolina
North Augusta, South Carolina
Pelion, South Carolina
Summerville, South Carolina(2 reports)
Swansea, South Carolina
Oliver Springs, Tennessee
Pocahontas, Tennessee
Baytown, Texas
Center, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Deer Park, Texas(3 reports)
Desoto, Texas
Ennis, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Houston, Texas
Plano, Texas
Rowlett, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Yantis, Texas
West Jordan, Utah
Chantilly, Virginia
Anacortes, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Shelton, Washington
Skokomish, Washington
Falling Waters, West Virginia
show allGardeners' Notes:
Rating | Content |
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Neutral | On May 24, 2020, TheCzaress from Rolla, MO wrote: Although we’ve both always loved wisteria, buying this home just 6 months ago, my boyfriend and I are now new caregivers to one and we are green. And now that our Wisteria’s beautifully pleasant blooms have gone, her tendrils are running wild. She is very mature. I haven’t measured her root base but if I were to guess, probably 18 inch circumference. From the root base at the driveway, along with foliage, runs along the average-length walkway and support/fence, over an arbor, back down to a very short portion of support and ends. There is a pergola that was built above the front door that may have been intended for the Wisteria but I can only guess. We need help taming this beauty without killing her or stunting her growth. The tendrils are out into the walkway and we don’t know what to do... read more |
Positive | On May 17, 2016, Aleco from Onsøy, Beautiful foliage and beautiful flowers with interesting growing. I absolutely adore this plant, and I keep thinking of new ways to use it in my yard. It's been easy to control, but took about five years to flower from the summer it was planted. Looks a lot like a blue, viny version of a Laburnum - a killer combination as they bloom at slightly different times. |
Negative | On Jun 14, 2011, wynswid from Garland, TX wrote: My neighbor's kept invading my backyard and killed my plum tree. I'll never plant it. |
Positive | On Aug 18, 2010, Intolerable from Anacortes, WA (Zone 8a) wrote: I have 3 Wisteria's in my backyard. I believe 2 are them same type, one different according to the blooms & leaves. |
Neutral | On Aug 16, 2010, PiBall from Milford, NH wrote: We now live in a home that was built in 1963, and I suspect the Wysteria in the backyard was planted at the time of construction. It is conveniently in the MIDDLE of the yard, in full sun and exposed to high winds. It has been pruned over the years to be a huge ball, rather than as a climber, and has an incredible trunk several inches in diameter. It is a Japanese variety, I believe, because it flowers BEFORE the leaves unfurl. This year it sent out several crawlers that I will cut back to the trunk this fall, after the leaf drop, when I can see better under it. It does, however, create a spectacular display in early spring! Fragrant and lovely, masses upon masses of hanging clusters of lilac/blue flowers. Fuzzy seed pods are of interest all summer into the winter. I put a shepard's... read more |
Negative | On Jul 24, 2010, GreenThumbMD09 from Gaithersburg, MD wrote: Our neighbors have this on their adjoining fence, and it's a real pest. Highly aggressive. Not surprising considering it's not native to North America. Stick with American Wisteria. |
Negative | On Jul 20, 2010, garden4wildlife from Pinehurst, NC wrote: If you are considering aquiring this plant, first check to see if it is invasive in your part of the country. There is much information about invasive species on the internet or from your native plant society. Much expense is incurred in attempts to remove it from roadsides, parks and other natural areas. It kills trees and all native undergrowth thus affecting the entire ecosystem. You may feel you can control it in your yard, but you don't see what happens in all the natural areas where the birds deposit its seeds. |
Positive | On Jun 11, 2010, SabraKhan from Tiverton, RI (Zone 6b) wrote: I bought my Wisteria sinensis vine at a local garden center. The particular cultivar was unspecified but I bought it because it already had a bloom on it and it was a very young plant in a small pot and smelled wonderful. My vine has the distinction of huge full blooms packed tightly on the vine before any sign of leaves are present. The leaves sprout only after the flowers are fading providing an unobstructed view of the numerous flowers. |
Positive | On Oct 2, 2009, mswestover from Yulee, FL (Zone 9a) wrote: When I purchased this property five years ago this plant had grown over everything it could reach. I trimmed it back to within 15 feet of the mother plant. I put some landscape timbers in the ground and cross hatched them with fishing pole bamboo in a circular shape, about 15 wide and 50 feet long and 8 feet high to form a little walkway under the flowers. Now the Wisteria has grown and intertwined with the bamboo and mostly supports itself. It is a show stopper in full bloom in March. You can walk under the flowers and watch the yellow bumble bees feasting for about a month before they fade. You have to keep on top of it by constantly trimming or it will grow, grow, grow everywhere you do not want it. |
Neutral | On Apr 14, 2009, purplesun from Krapets, I grow Chinese Wisteria in Sofia, Bulgaria. It's a humble plant in terms of ornamentality, with sparse foliage, smallish flower clusters and rampant growth. It does not seed itself at all here. |
Neutral | On Oct 2, 2008, Strazil from Seattle, WA wrote: Originally bought this chinese wisteria (9 years ago) to climb and cover an unattractive but useful woodshed in the far corner of our backyard. Though I've heard they can grow quite large, this one gets a lot of shade from a very large cherry tree, so the size can easily be controlled if you are vigilant about new shoots. I don't get a profusion of blooms, but a decent amount each year. BUT if I had to choose again, I think I would have gone with Virginia Creeper, a much more attractive display throughout the seasons. |
Positive | On Jun 24, 2008, tlmiller39 from Indianapolis, IN wrote: We purchased my mother-in-law's home about 10 years ago, she planted wisteria to cover a hole from a dead tree about 20 years ago, |
Neutral | On May 1, 2008, blufour from Cantril, IA wrote: I'm not sure I can say neutral is my experience with Wisteria. I tryed for years to grow different ones I bought. Finally I got one from Earl May here in Iowa and it survived. After probably 2 years it had enough growth to actually put on a couple or three blooms. I also, in the meantime, purchased a Wisteria tree which became established more quickly and bloomed I think the first year. Then I moved! Had to begin all over and so far I've had probably 3 Wisteria vines, lost the first 2, and looks like I'm losing the third one. What has happened each time is those late freezes or just a hard winter. If I could get them through a few winters in order to get good woody growth I think they'd be established enough to take the extreme cold. We live on a "bottom" ground area and we get fr... read more |
Neutral | On Jun 30, 2007, macybee from Deer Park, TX (Zone 9a) wrote: I shared in 2003 - No flowers just vine. Still no flowers just vine and other vines growing on it. Air potato, creeping dogwood, purple passion. |
Positive | On Mar 16, 2007, Lily_love from Central, AL (Zone 7b) wrote: I've one of the Chinese Wisteria, planted one year on my old property. When I moved (the vine was probably 2 year-old), the taproot was deep that I needed a water lancer (spl.?) to help dug it out the ground. Good thing I did, for there were no wild growth has been sighted at the old stumping ground. |
Neutral | On Dec 15, 2006, frostweed from Josephine, Arlington, TX (Zone 8a) wrote: Chinese Wisteria Wisteria sinensis is Naturalized in Texas and other States and is considered an invasive plant in Texas. |
Neutral | On Jun 25, 2006, Junebug62 from Swansea, SC wrote: This vine has to be pruned not only on top but also at the roots, it will send feeder roots up to forty feet from the original roots. Treat this vine poorly, don't water alot put it in poor soil, will grow in sand, be aggressive about pruning both above and below ground and you will be rewarded with the beautiful blooms. |
Neutral | On May 4, 2006, xwabbit from West Orange, NJ wrote: It has been exciting trying to ID all the stuff that are sprouting up and peeking about. It's my first spring at his house and most discoveries have been happy surprises. |
Negative | On Mar 23, 2006, gooley from Hawthorne, FL (Zone 8b) wrote: I'm told that there is a similar vine, a relative (same genus, different species) that is less vigorous and native to the US. As I write, the Chinese wisterias are in bloom here, all along the old railroad cut and in various disturbed areas: it's the spring equinox more or less. They're pretty. They're ubiquitous. They're impractical to get rid of. They're crowding out a mess of native species. Just don't plant them. I see from the reviews that few people will agree with me. |
Positive | On Mar 19, 2006, WUVIE from Hulbert, OK (Zone 7a) wrote: All too often people admire the blooms, plant Wisteria and then regret having done so. |
Negative | On Feb 13, 2006, MotherNature4 from Bartow, FL (Zone 9a) wrote: I do not grow this plant. Though it is beautiful when blooming, this is an extremely invasive plant. It will uproot the foundation of your house or completely smother a tree. My recommendation is to not plant it. |
Positive | On Feb 12, 2006, TBGDN from (Zone 5a) wrote: I've always admired the characteristics of this plant. But, I am quick to point out it is not for the 'faint of heart', or those who don't like a lot of pruning. This plant is pruned to about 7-8' and has a main trunk of about 1.5" diameter. I try to keep it at minimum height to encourage bloom and keep lateral growth under control. It first bloomed for me in spring 2005 after severe pruning and copious feedings of Triple Super Phosphate. I give it a positive rating because of its beautiful clusters of lavender blue flowers, and I like the foliage after bloom. |
Positive | On Nov 14, 2005, rondaross from Deer Park, TX wrote: My husband and I have a Purple Wisteria trained up a poll in our backyard. We keep it trimmed along the trunk up to about midway the height of the vine (13') and it puts out tons of flowers around March-April with no fail. It does receive full sun with the exception of early morning due to a neighbors Pecan tree. But we've had no troubles and really after the blooms are gone, we do a drastic trim on branches and new trailers and keep it short during the rest of the year. It fills out quickly with leaves once the blooms drop. We do get occassional blooms throughout the year because of our constant trimming back. |
Positive | On Jul 9, 2005, RRRupert123 from Solon, IA wrote: I LOVE THIS PLANT!!! it is so beautiful. and i think it is kind of neat how it makes so many runners and takes over things. atleast it isn't like kudzu! |
Neutral | On Jun 14, 2005, theresamendoza from Hesperia, CA (Zone 8a) wrote: I planted my chinese wisteria three years ago and no blooms so far. |
Positive | On Jun 12, 2005, teatimer from Lavrica, Ours has started blooming in its second year. We prune it quite severely. To avoid being strangled we take good care not to fall asleep next to it. |
Neutral | On Apr 26, 2005, PlantmanPatric from Statesville, NC (Zone 7a) wrote: Chinese Wisteria grows in North Carolina with the same rambunctiousness and voracity that kudzu does, but at least Wisteria is pretty and smells good. |
Negative | On Apr 22, 2005, jacqofhearts wrote: Nasty plant. It's great in the open outdoors and on telephone lines (those things need all the sprucing up nature can give them!) but not in my garden! Geez I've got at least two weeks worth of cutting, digging and wheezing to even get the darn thing under control. Whoever lived here before me must have given up! Can't blame 'em though! Those runners they send out are tricky. Just when you think you've won a battle - lo and behold you trip over another runner! Wish me luck! And to think, I almost felt guilty for wanting to kill it! |
Positive | On Mar 16, 2005, tiffcrum from Indianapolis, IN wrote: I planted two Wisteria Sinesis about 3 years ago over an arbor. They are filling in quite nicely but are not overpowering whatsoever. I am in zone 5 and the cold seems to keep the Wisteria from being so invasive. The blooms are gorgeous and very fragrant. This is my absolute favorite plant. I prune it several times a year. I have heard that the more distress you cause to the plant helps it flower more. |
Neutral | On Oct 28, 2004, DDYE from Mer Rouge, LA (Zone 8a) wrote: it will take over the world. I go about 5 feet from the main plant and chop with an ax to keep it from going everywhere. I like the carolina wisteria that is not invasive but it is hard to find and the only way that we have been able to propagate is by laying down a vine and covering with dirt for 6 mos or so. |
Positive | On Oct 27, 2004, lmelling from Ithaca, NY (Zone 5b) wrote: Yes, this is an invasive little critter, but when it blooms, it's absolutely beautiful. I started 2 here back in 1997 that were supposed to be about 4 years old. I waited and waited for them to bloom - nothing! But boy, did they grow! I had one planted next to my house and made a trellis for it, but I couldn't keep it contained. After 5 years with no blooms, and it growing like wildfire, I decided to move it to an area where it could grow along our fence and not get in the way. Well...the main trunk died! But meanwhile, back where I had taken it out volunteers were coming up everywhere! I dug and transplanted several of these to the fence and they have now taken off - but I keep finding more volunteers that have now grown around both corners of the house - will this thing ever stop... read more |
Positive | On Sep 17, 2004, pokerboy from Canberra, A very vigorous climber producing pretty blue or white flowers in Spring. Wisteria is deciduous. Mine, after 20 years of growth has a huge base and spreads rapidly. Good for a pergola or patio that needs to have winter sun and summer shade. Exteremly vigorous. pokerboy. |
Positive | On Jul 15, 2004, conniecola from Lincoln, NE wrote: I LOVE this plant! Mine is fairly new(3 years old). It had beautiful purple clusters last year, but this year nothing yet. I heard that you can train it to be a tree or a vine. I am trying to train it by having it go along the length of my wooden fence. Are you supposed to prune it in the fall? and how far down do I cut it back? I think we have one on our chain length fence also. It was here when we moved in. My husband has tried to get rid of it, but can't. It is twining through the fence, but this summer, I saw these totally beautiful purple clusters that smelled wonderful, and told him not to get rid of it. I love to look at the older more established ones when they are in full bloom! |
Positive | On Jul 14, 2004, Khyssa from Inverness, FL (Zone 9a) wrote: Established wisteria vines do tend to be extremely invasive but to me the blooms and their fragrance make them worth the trouble of maintaining them. I have my wisteria growing along a 4 ft high chain link fence where it is competeing with honesuckle vines. When containing the vines I find the best way is to heavily trim it back several times a year after it blooms in the spring. If the plant won't bloom try putting used coffee grounds, tea bags, and banana peels around the vines base. I found that this really boasts the plants overall health and will work with a wide range of plants. Also, in my experience wisteria seems to grow best in acidic soil, particularly around large pine trees. If you try to grow wisteria from seed you will have to wait years before it will bloom. Propagat... read more |
Positive | On May 18, 2004, uofagirl from Orrville, OH (Zone 6a) wrote: Have a 10+ old wisteria chinensis w/o flowers in part sun already, but bought this blooming 4 year old baby and put it in full sun in hopes to continue its flowers next season. |
Positive | On May 14, 2004, AliceinCT from Northfield, CT wrote: This is not a plant for sissies. We bought our "Alba" (white) tree wisteria (basically a regular one trained to stand on it's own) from WFF in 1999. We live in Litchfield, CT (zone 5). |
Positive | On Mar 13, 2004, greenthumbscott wrote: The wait is worth it. I live in central Pennsylvania (not quite sure what zone it is.) I planted a Chinese wisteria 9 years ago and it took 7 years to bloom. The first year it only had a few flowers but last year was magnificent. The entire plant was nothing but clusters of blue-purple flowers. Neighbors would stop and comment on it and let me know that in a slight breeze, they could smell it several houses away. |
Negative | On Mar 1, 2004, HarryNJ from Jackson, NJ (Zone 7a) wrote: 2'' is nothing, I've seen the stems reach 4-5" in diameter growing in trees. I've also seen these same vines crush a garage when a storm brought the vines tumbling down. Along with greenbriar, Hall's honeysuckle, and multiflora rose probably the most obnoxious plant I can think of. They are nice when in bloom, but don't even do that consistently, putting on a great dispaly some years and not flowering at all others. I wouldn't recommend planting this unless you have the time and energy to devote to keeping it under control. I've been battling it for years here. It even seems to throw out runnerlike like vines from the base of its trunk that travel over the soil surface (until they hit something they can grow up and smother) and can reach 30-40 feet in a single year. |
Negative | On Feb 25, 2004, jesup from Malvern, PA (Zone 7a) wrote: While it's pretty when/if it blooms.... |
Positive | On Feb 23, 2004, crazyplantlover from Pineville, MO wrote: I just bought 2 rooted stems from Walmart and am looking forward to getting em to grow i plan on planting them along side a 60-70 yr old all oak chicken barn does anyone live in zone 6 not sure if its A or B i live in Missouri on the Mo Ark line the soil around the barn is fairly rich and is a combonation of soil and 60-70 yr old chicken manure , hay, and grass clippings ,any extra informatipon about the plant would be greatly appreciated |
Positive | On Nov 24, 2003, Greenknee from Chantilly, VA (Zone 6b) wrote: I have 3 wisterias, and have had the same problems with getting them to bloom. They are very strong growers, and generally need to be pruned very hard to induce blossoming in plants less than 10 years old. I suggest letting them grow to get a little size then begin cutting back all side shoots to only 3 to 5 buds where you want flowers, otherwise cut back to main stem(s). |
Neutral | On Nov 23, 2003, emfarley from Houston, TX wrote: I have now owned 3 wisterias(don't know which varieties)and the 2 previous ones have bloomed the 1st year planted. Now I have had one planted for 4 years - not a single bloom , but unbelievable foliage. Have been told some take as long as 9 years to produce. I'm too OLD to wait. |
Positive | On Oct 11, 2003, nipajo from Dallas, TX (Zone 8b) wrote: I planted mine in front of the garage and now it's runners all over the place. In the alley, on the patio, growing on my neighbors trees. Mine blooms in the spring and then sporadicaly for the rest of the season. I live in the zone 8 area. It has gone through several trellises, cement blocks and through the garage. But it is one of the first bloomers of the spring and the smell is spectacular. |
Positive | On Oct 10, 2003, seniorgotit from North Charleston, SC wrote: I have trained and cut mine to be a small bush. I was given a cutting already rooted and it bloomed that year. My cousin planted seed and in two years it has not bloomed, so if I wanted another one, I sure wouldn't want to wait on the seed plant to bloom. |
Neutral | On Jun 30, 2003, koimiss from Allegan, MI wrote: I am in Zone 5. I can't remember which Wisteria I have, and I certainly can't tell from the flowers because it isn't blooming! |
Negative | On Jun 30, 2003, purplehbee from Deer Park, TX wrote: My plant bloomed for a couple of years and has not bloomed again, but the vine keeps on growing and growing. Its in full sun. I want some beautiful flowers!! |
Positive | On Apr 20, 2003, Stonebec from Fort Worth, TX (Zone 7b) wrote: I am not sure if I have the Japanese or Chinese wisteria. I understand it has something to do with whether it coils to the right or left. I braided 5 main stems together to form a tree-like structure with mine but it still needs a trellis to grow on because it is fast! Mine has it's first bloom before it gets any leaves, about early March here in Fort Worth. It goes through about 5 bloom cycles a year. We trim it when it reaches the peak of the roof of the house. Our trellis is over the air conditioning unit and it really does keep our electric bill down. I love the smell and don't bother the bees. We planted one of our wisterias next to our pine tree last winter and it has started up it. It will look so marvelous with blooms hanging from the pine. We are constantly catching it sending ten... read more |
Neutral | On Mar 30, 2003, PHurt wrote: I purchased a house about three years ago that had this tree in a corner of my back deck (about 15 ft away from the house). This entire area was was covered only with 2X2 strips spaced about 8 inches apart and this tree tangled around these strips of wood. It was winter when I bought the house but I began getting information on this tree because I was really excited about having it. |
Positive | On Mar 19, 2003, Kelli from L.A. (Canoga Park), CA (Zone 10a) wrote: In my area, Chinese Wisteria blooms from late winter to mid spring. Overall my experience with it has been positive, but it is a vigorous plant that needs to be kept under control. One of my pictures shows the plant along the edge of the roof and it is planted in the back of the house, giving it a length of probably 50 feet. We have to keep it out of the shutters or it would pull them apart. The plant will self-sow. The seed pods are interesting. I like how they feel. If I didn't know the name of the plant, I would call it velvet bean. The seeds ripen in the fall. One half of the seed pod pops off and the seeds are flung for many feet in all directions. This is audible. The flowers are slightly fragrant, making this a plant for the senses of sight, hearing, touch, and smell. |