Wisteria Frutescens - Shrub
Posted: Thursday, September 17, 2009
by Dennis Sons
tn nursery
One of the plants that can look great on any landscape is the Wisteria Frutescens. Also known as the American or Atlantic wisteria, this shrub from the pea family produces perfumed purple or white flowers during the blooming season and occasionally throughout the year.
The species reputation as Frutescens indicates "shrub," However, almost all species of wisteria are "true vines". There was a time when the native species of wisteria grew wild and out of control in many parts of NE USA . The extensive covering of roadsides with Wisterias and their colorful purple/whitish flowers is often a common site during spring. However, with better cultivation and use of herbicides, the wild wisterias have been brought under control in some parts of the country.
Today, Wisteria Frutescens can be widely seen to be growing along riverbanks, porches, gazebos, wall gardens, parks, fences, alleyways, wooded swamps, moist soily areas and in dense forest.
There are some novice gardeners who would like to grow a wisteria and immediately fall for the good-looking Chinese or Japanese varieties. The Japanese and Chinese wisterias were first introduced into the USA 200 years ago, and they do thrive well in our American climate. Definitely, the oriental wisterias produce beautiful flowers, but the plants are very invasive and can destroy your landscape in no time. Most experts do not recommend the oriental wisterias unless you do not care about your environment.
Wisteria Frutescens is a flowery woody perennial that has attractive little flowers when in bloom. The plant does grow tall and often twirls clockwise as it grows like a vine. The distinct feature about wisteria Frutescens are the small pretty purple/white flowers. While most wisteria grow large and tall, wisteria Frutescens reaches a height of 6-10 feet.
Conditions for growth include full sun but the plant also grows well in partial shade. The soil must be sandy, moist, and well drained. If the soil contains a lot of clay or gets waterlogged, then the plants will not develop deep strong roots.
One minor negative about growing wisteria Frutescens is that sometimes they do grow tall and displace other small trees or shrubs. This leads to shading and nutrient competition in the soil. Further, since this plant is a vigorous tree climber it can sometimes override other vegetation.
When the growth of wisteria Frutescens is controlled, these woody ornamental vines can make the landscape full and vibrant.
The growth of wisteria is easily facilitated by its small seeds that do travel far when there is water running downstream. The benefits of planting Wisteria Frutescens are the following:
- relatively east to grow - require less maintenance but some pruning is required - makes an excellent covering like a fence - growth is more controlled and does not become invasive like other wisteria - blooms at least once a year, but sometimes flowers may be produced throughout the year - the distinct white-purple flowers produce a beautiful backdrop to your landscape - plants are drought resistant - the plant is not appealing to deers but the bright flowers do attract a variety of insects, butterflies and insects
Anyone who decides to grow wisteria should understand that the plant needs to be monitored to ensure that the growth is controlled. In general, pruning and trimming once or twice a year will limit wild growth and produce a beautiful landscape.
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