Purple Chinese Wisteria 1L

General description: The Chinese wisteria is a stunning, vigorously climbing, and extremely long-lived vine. It twines around support structures and reaches a height of up to 10 m, so it needs sturdy and durable support. The Chinese wisteria does will in temperate European climes and is a great addition to any garden, public park or other urban green area.

Flowers: This wisteria exhibits spectacular pea-type, purple and lilac flowers that grow in pendulous racemes. The dangling racemes reach 40-50 cm in length and grow on the ends of short side stems or on the current year's long shoots.

Blooming: The Chinese wisteria blooms from May until July. It often repeats flowering in August, although less abundantly.

Leaves: This wisteria has green, pinnately compound leaves composed of leaflets with an entire (smooth) margin.

Fruit: Wisteria fruit are tomentose, flattened pods around 10-15 cm long, usually containing several seeds. They hang closed on branches until spring.

Cultivation requirements: Wisterias require fertile, nutrient-rich, permeable soil and a sunny, wind-sheltered location.

Pruning: During the first 3 years after planting, the Chinese wisteria grows slowly and requires special care. Pruning is necessary to obtain the right form and shape of the vine, however it can also be grown in the form of a bush, in a shrub habit.

Props: Chinese wisterias require sturdy and durable support as they can grow to be very heavy. They grow best next to pergolas, arbours and hardy trellises.

Overwintering: The wisteria does well in temperate European climes. Young seedlings may freeze, so protecting them for the winter is necessary, for example by covering the base of the plant with organic mulch to insulate roots or shielding stems with agrotextiles.

Origin: China.