Wisteria Tree
Facts About The Wisteria Tree
The Wisteria tree is a large family having many varieties. Almost all varieties are very attractive, featuring hanging blossoms, often quite fragrant, and usually appearing in great profusion. The Wisteria is more accurately referred to as a vine, but if trained will grow upright by climbing and will resemble a tree. A few varieties however, will grow as a tree without training, but will still climb on anything within reach.
The Wisteria Has A Dark Side - The Wisteria tree is especially attractive when supported by a trellis or growing along a porch or patio roof. Most varieties grow quite rapidly, almost too rapidly in some cases, and one has to be careful not to plant a Wisteria too near another plant or tree which it could easily smother or strangle. The Wisteria in fact is can be a rather deadly beauty. As lovely and as fragrant as the blossoms are, they are poisonous. In fact, all parts of the plant are toxic, which should be taken into account when deciding whether to plant one, or where to plant one.
The other not-so-lovely feature if the Wisteria tree is that it not only can become rather invasive, but can be difficult to get rid of if you decide you don't want it in the yard or garden any more. If it is cut to the ground it will usually grow right back. If you dig up the root ball, but leave pieces of root, they have an excellent chance of sprouting. And the seed pods, which enter the picture as the blossoms face, contain a number of seeds, which have a fair rate of germination. If you have a Wisteria tree, you can expect to have little Wisteria seedlings popping up from time to time, which should be removed if you don't want vines all over your yard.
The blossoms, which can come in many different colors, with violet, purple, white and yellow being the most common, usually precede the foliage, and cover more or less the entire vine and branches. The blossoms can put on quite a show. A properly trained Wisteria in bloom is an excellent specimen plant, and once the foliage appears (it is a deciduous vine) it remains very attractive.
A Temperate Vine - Most members of the Wisteria family are quite long lived, and can grow to have substantial trunks and large vines if allowed to do so. If you purchase a Wisteria tree while in your 20's it would not be unusual to still have it around after you retire. The Wisteria is hardy in most temperate regions of the United States, doing quite well in USDA Zones 5 through 9, with some varieties surviving quite nicely in Zone 4 and even in Zone 3. In this respect, if you purchase a Wisteria on line or by mail order, rather than from a local nursery, it's advisable to check to see what zones the plant will do well in.
Propagation - Even though the seeds tend to germinate at a fair rate, most varieties are propagated through cuttings, especially the hybrids, as the seeds cannot be guaranteed to give the emerging plant a true color. Considering how difficult it is to kill the vine, propagation through cuttings is not difficult. Even a section of root may suffice. Since one or two of these vines may be as many as one will ever need in a garden, propagation usually isn't a major issue. While the vine is not particularly attractive during the winter, it can always be pruned back without fear that it may not recover. Rest assured it will. Invasive, poisonous, or whatever, the Wisteria Tree still can add much to a yard or garden, and will generally make a very worthwhile addition to the landscape.