Wisteria frutescens - Cultivation Notes
This much loved climber is great if you have the right conditions and also plenty of space as Wisteria really need to be allowed to spread out, ideally along the side of a sunny wall, fence or house.
Wisteria is something of a go too climber if you are looking for that traditional cottage garden look, but beware, once it gets away Wisteria needs twice yearly pruning (mid summer and winter) and can become something of a bully as it grows up into roof tiles and obscures windows!.
Wisteria ideally needs a sunny sheltered location with reasonable soil, it certainly does not like shade or wet claggy clay soils, likewise it does not like overly dry nutrient poor soils, so it often comes unstruck hwen planted up against new peoperties, where it struggles to put down roots into poor soils packed up against deep foundations, so if you are planting against a new build dig a good sized planting pit and infill with decent soil and ensure plentiful drainage at the base of the pit.
Strengths, Weaknesses & Design Usage
Strengths of Wisteria frutescens:
- Sun loving drought tolerant plant
- Scented blossom
- Architectural plant – ideal as a ‘stand out’ plant
Weaknesses of Wisteria frutescens
- Poisonous if eaten/irritating sap
- Will not tolerate exposed, cold or hot and sunny locations
- Does not tolerate very dry or very wet soils
Design & Plant Use for Wisteria frutescens:
- Flowering climbing plant for added interest on walls and structures
- Flowering climbing plant for added interest on walls and structures
- Ideal for informal cottage garden style planting
View all the plants listed in Genus Wisteria
View other climbers with purple flowers, or climbers with light green foliage