If you’re looking for a basic guide to growing wisteria, you’ve come to the right spot.
Yesterday I planted my Japanese purple Wisteria in front of our NEWLY CONSTRUCTED FENCE {that’s right, privacy is back, baby!}. I have had Wisteria in my yard for years because it’s pretty quick growing. It also looks pretty freakin’ fantastic crawling across just about anything. Plus it requires almost nothing of me after planting, except a yearly pruning.
Wisteria is super easy to train to grow up a trellis or over an arbor or pergola. It adds a wall of color–which is pretty darn cool, if you ask me.
To plant Wisteria, you need to start with a nice healthy vine. In these parts, at least, those are easy to come by. Pretty much any major nursery will have them available. Then, choose your location. Wisteria doesn’t have to have full sun, but it will flower much more if it does.
To get that sucker in the ground, dig a hole about 2-3 times the size of the root ball or roots. Place it in the hole, and then back fill the hole with a mixture of soil and compost. For the first year, at least, you should also cover the base of the plant with a thick layer of mulch. The mulch will help protect it’s initially delicate roots and keep moisture constant. Finally, water it in, and walk away–your job is done.
To maintain Wisteria, you really only need to prune it once a year {more if it starts to take over}. It’s best to prune it AFTER the flowering season, otherwise, you run the risk of stopping it from flowering at all. There really isn’t a secret to pruning it, just trim it back to your eyes’ liking.
As far as watering and fertilizing go: forget about it {please read in heavy Italian accent}. You really don’t need to water it if you live in an area that receives more than an inch of rainfall per year. And since it will grow fine all on its own, no need to waste your money on fertilizer.
One last word of warning, when I first started planting Wisteria, readers chimed in to let me know not to plant it too close to any other trees, as it could eventually choke them out. So, I always consider that bit of advice before I choose a location for my Wisteria. {Apparently, in the South, Wisteria is even considered a bit invasive, which is a big giant bummer.}
How about YOU, do you have Wisteria in your garden? Does it make you giddy with delight when you see it draping across your eye-line, or is it just me?
~Mavis
cathy harrell says
I want one:)
Jenna says
Wisteria is beautiful, but AHHH! Our house had an overgrown wisteria plant when we moved in that I had to trim back once a week in summer, for the 4 years we kept it. When we finally chopped it down, the “trunk” was nearly one foot in diameter. Nightmare.
Jeannette Gevedon says
I have 2 wisteria in pots that I haven’t repotted in about 12 years and I have moved 4 times with them!! I tie them to a trellis, pergola, downspout, whatever! They grow to the roof line in no time. When I have to move I prune them just enough to manage them on a dolly. I’m near the Napa Valley so I have to water everyday except rainy season. Never fertilized, but I do add new potting soil in the spring. They are gorgeous!!
Sandra says
Hi, I planted my two wisteria in the plantar in front of my pergola, and I’m worry if it will
Make through the winter. I’m in zone 5
Molly says
Hey how big are the pots you use!!! I want to bring this plant with me when we move in the next ten years.
Mrs. Chow says
I planted a wisteria tree seedling about three weeks ago. The vine is grafted onto rootstock. When mature, they are gorgeous.
Megan says
I don’t have a Wisteria Tree, however the folks that I share a fence with do, and man oh man! They never prune it! It has started to break away at the fence and the roots have spread so much that it is starting to pop up on my side now!
Melissa says
My friend had one that was growing throughout a very large oak tree she had on her property. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, all the branches appreared to be dripping with Wysteria flowers!
I bought my one and only Wysteria vine from Aldi three years ago. The package said it wouldn’t flower until the 5th year…so I’m still waiting to see what will happen. The first year I swear it didn’t grow an inch. I had actually figured it was dead, but low and behold, it came back the second year! It did actually grow, and we put it on a black metal trellis. Year three it grew some more and was at the top of the trellis. We are entering year four, and I don’t know what to do.
I have heard people talk about it choking out trees as well, and I have this insanely georgous Maple tree in my backyard. Before I heard about it choking out trees, I planted the Wysteria in an area where it’d be able to grow up the tree like my friends did. Now I’m terrified I am going to either have to sacrifice the Wysteria or my 100’+ Maple tree!
Does anyone know if I can transplant the Wysteria or propagate it somehow? I really don’t want to loose either one of them! Yikes!!!! I’ve heard they can take down older structures and fences due to their weight. I’m open for suggestions if anyone has any!
suzanne says
You can transplant your vine. In fact root pruning sometimes helps them to blossom earlier when they’re young.
Melissa says
What is root pruning?
If I’m going to transplant it, is there any specific time of the year I should do it or any specific instructions? I have limited gardening knowledge, so I tend to just dig and go.
suzanne hissung says
Melissa, for a plant in the ground that means inserting your shovel in a circle around the root base of the plant to limit/cut the root growth. If it’s a large tree/shrub you can do this a few months before you plan to transplant, usually early spring or fall in my climate. It sometimes forces blooms (seed production) from wisteria. I’m sorry I’m not familiar with your climate. Your vine shouldn’t be old/big enough to be hard to transplant. If you can’t get a big rootball just cut the top back to compensate and water well. Wisteria is beautiful but you have so many better/easier choices. Dig and go is how you learn. It’s all good.
Melissa says
Suzanne thank you so much for explaining that to me! Looks like I’ll be busy this weekend! I really appreciate it, thanks! Now…to find somewhere to put it…
Cat Dabney says
I transplanted one from my original 60 yr. old original vine and it is now happily crushing the chain link and trying to wipe out a crape myrtle tree. Don’t worry about transplanting! I need to know how to control it. Turns out that if the vines crawl along the ground they can put down roots! Who knew!
denise says
dig up what you don’t want, and get as much root system as possible. from there, in the winter months, keep it pruned back as far as you want it to be. you can prune them before winter, but you run the risk of losing your flowers. cutting back runners throughout the year won’t affect the flowering season. as to your crepe murtle, cut the vine at the base of the tree, and pull as much off as you can. get someone agile, to climb up the tree and pull as much off as possible, cutting out pieces of vine as you go. that’ll stop it from regrowing.
pat says
I purchased land next me and someone had planted wisteria 50-60 years ago to control erosion. Then privet took over within the roots, What an invasive mess! wisteria roots act as a sieve and controls water, but it has girdled the pine trees choking them and blocking the sun on the top of the pine trees, killing them. I love the pine trees that also control erosion. They have seeds that are popping up everywhere. Be careful
denise says
yes you can transplant them, but wait until the winter months when it’s dormant. be aware that they have a tap root, and if part of it breaks off, it will regrow, wait until the second one is big enough and replant that as well.
Kathy says
Hi I have a 50 yr old wisteria on my rooftop terrace my landlord is taking up the brick fl can I save this large wisteria that’s on a pagoda to replant or is it better to buy a new 1?
Kathy
Donna says
My wisteria is about 1 foot away from a wooden fence. I was not aware of the strength of it and it almost brought down my fence. So far I’ve been able to keep it off the fence by trimming it regularly. As soon as a spindly vine goes to the fence I chop it down. I now have a very beautiful topiary type wisteria…..
suzanne says
I worked for Heronswood gardens here in the PNW. The wisteria plants that grow there have consumed everything in there path. They pop up in every direction within a 50 foot radius of the mother. I personally would not by any property with wisteria, ivy or bamboo growing on it here in the PNW.
Melissa says
I live in a suburb of Chicago, so we don’t get very much rain in the summer or fall. This spring it has rained quite a bit though. Our winters are generally pretty hard too.
denise says
if you like bamboo, talk to your garden centre, and get a clumping one. these don’t have runners. when it get quite thick, which will take some years, you can transplant some of it. with wisterias, if you find a runner coming up, cut it back to the source, and put some sump oil, or similar, on the wound.this will stop it from regrowing.
denise says
I live in Australia, Tasmania to be exact. but what i have posted, is global.
denise says
to get rid of ivy, spray it with white vinegar. you might have to do it quite a few times if on a fence. scrape off what’s there, then spray the fence, it works
Sue says
We have a beautiful white wisteria over our back gate arbor. We trim it once a year and it looks like a giant green umbrella. We live in central Alabama.
JCH says
Japanese wisteria is horrifically invasive and a bad idea. You might keep it under control, but there’s no guarantee the next owner will want to, and anyway, it’s horrible to native plants and a pain in the neck to ever get rid of. There are perfectly good native wisteria plants that grow in america, just more slowly. But they won’t eat your house in ten years time. Please seriously consider removing it now before it has a chance to invade.
Suzanne says
I have to agree with JCH on this one. When we moved to the town we live in now, about 25 yrs ago, it was over-run with wisteria. The city spent five years and hundreds of thousands of dollars getting rid of it. And it started in one person’s yard. An older lady planted it in her garden. When she died, the new owners weren’t into gardening and just let the wisteria go. It was so invasive that it killed the kudzu, which I didn’t think was possible.
Virginia Sumpter says
Everyone seems to be over reacting. My sister is is 30 or so years old. It is incredibly beautiful and the showcase of the neighborhood over my front open patio. I would not trade it for anything. It has torn up nothing its scent is heavenly.
So I don’t know what you all are talking about.
Randi says
My husband built steel supports that attach to the roof line for our wisteria. It now grows across the garage roof line and all the way down one side of the house. Beautiful purple flowers. My mom once said that when in bloom it looks like my house has bushy eyebrows.
Virginia Sumpter says
Mine too. We put in a steel arbor on the edge of my patio roof. But the sister is shades the open beans and my patio. It is heavenly.
Renay says
I have a Chines wisteria. Did you know that there is a difference between Chinese and Japanese wisteria? Chinese wisteria vines spiral clockwise while Japanese wisteria vines spiral in the opposite direction. My Chinese wisteria will also throw off blooms occasionally during the summer. Sooooo nice when outside on the deck for coffee or BBQ!
Lisa says
I’m pretty sure both the Asian varieties twist the same way, it’s the American that is the opposite.
Lisa says
Well, both Japanese and Chinese varieties are considered invasive plants in many US states. In fact, Invasive.org includes it on its list of “any species, including its seeds, eggs, spores, or other biological material capable of propagating that species, that is not native to that ecosystem; and whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.”
So, while many non-natives are fine, wisteria “does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm…” Not worth it for the beauty. My grandmother had it and it took over her entire side yard. I love it as a little girl, but now, as a homeowner, I won’t have it.
I agree with Suzanne. I live in the PNW and am fighting bamboo a previous owner planted all along a fence line. It pops up yards from the plant, popping stepping stones and choking out even the ivy I am also trying to control. I wouldn’t want to add wisteria unless it was the American version. It’s just as pretty.
Melissa says
What are the differences between Asian and American Wisteria? From the comments above, it sounds like the Asian varieties are faster growing and invasive. Does American Wisteria grow slowly? Is it easier to control?
Kristina says
I’m sure you must have meant anyplace that gets 1″ of rain per *month*, right? Here in central CA, we get zero rain from about May to about October (seriously, not a drop). No way I could grow wisteria here without regular watering. (That may be why I’ve also never heard that it’s invasive — wouldn’t survive here.)
Cari says
Wow! Pruning regularly IS key! When we moved into our current house we found that there were 2 wisteria poorly site waaaay to close to a number of trees and bushes. It did not have a tall enough support – only a 4ft “fence”. Not only had it taken over and started to choke out lilacs, a hawthorn tree and my 20 ft tall arborvitaes, it had also rooted itself in several places. It grows by runners and it is still a battle finding each one and digging them out. This plant easily traveled 30 to 40 feet from where it was planted and managed to cross under a patch of grass 15 feet wide. This particular wisteria was probably not pruned for many years, so it is a bit extreme, but be warned. Wisteria is not a low maintenance, set it and forget plant.
It is a member of the pea family, which sounds all innocent and sweet, but the Kudzu vine is also in the pea family. Kudzu is that stuff that grows a gazillion feet covering abandoned buildings in Asia.
They are really gorgeous, but I would probably not ever grow one again after my experience.
Lorraine says
My purple wisteria is over 80yrs old. When we reduced the size of the pergola, I was able to cut off one of the trunks and leave the other which is twisted and glorious in itself but when it flowers, the racemes drip down and the perfume fills the garden. I think this might be heaven!
Roses also are beautiful….but they take work too. In most cases I find, the more effort you put in, the more joy you get back – just like raising a child really.
Brenda Joy Hudnall says
I love your way of thinking, Lorraine. I am an avid Gardner, especially of roses. I even refer to them(my plants)as babies, for they take a lot of love and attention if you want them to do their best. I, too, have been thinking of planting a Wysteria which was given to me by a friend but also aware of there ability to overtake a garden if not pruned correctly. I believe I am going to try the container route and see what happens.
Diana says
Here in GA, I bought a house that had wisteria growing up one of the telephone/cable support poles. When I had some trees removed, they also took down the wisteria ‘vine’ that was more than 1 foot in diameter. They even used a stump grinder to get rid of as much of the root as possible. That was close to 3 years ago and I am still fighting suckers popping up as much as 50 feet away from the original vine. I have one that I bought several years ago that I never bothered to plant – it’s still in the plastic garden pot. It’s been sitting on a concrete patio for at least 3 years and is still alive. I never water it – it only gets what mother nature gives it – and it’s even survived 12 degree weather in that pot.
They don’t die around here. But I will say the scent is wonderful when they bloom…
Cindy says
I have had a wisteria vine in my yard for at least 5 years. It is growing on a sturdy trellis and has grown quite a bit since we first planted it. The only problem I have had is that it has never bloomed! i have seen a nearby neighbor with one growing in the midst of a tree and I could see the flowers in the leaves of the tree. I am disappointed about not having any flowers from mine. Any ideas as to what could be the cause???
D. Niemi says
They key is pruning at the right times every year. Also it’s important to keep it under control and needs attention for that. Don’t plant close to the house unless you are able to reach it to prune. I have a tree but it has been reaching for the house now. I will be buying a large trellis for it. If I can’t keep it controlled I will dig it up. They are very beautiful!
Kelly Jo says
I recently planted mine. The roots are good, it has green leaves, it is growing new vines, and granted it’s pretty small. I know it will take some time to get going, but now I’m a little worried about it. When it was starting in my bathroom with LOTS of moisture and a grow light, it took off like a tiny toddler on a chocolate high…now, not so much. I planted it with LOTS of fertilizer (we have horses in the corral) and I water it every other day. It gets great sunlight in the afternoon and we’ve secured it with stakes so the vines can have something to grow on.
What am I missing?
I am so very excited for it to grow!
Spainy says
My wisteria, which I’ve had about 4 years now, has no blossoms and never has. Although it is about 4 1/2 ft tall, it seems to have stopped growing this year. It is located in partial sunny area. I so want blossoms! What happened?
Barbara says
My wisterias are over ten years old and has never bloomed
Two beautiful plants
What can I do to get it to bloom
Trimmed it a number of times
Laila says
A lot of times when a wisteria does not bloom it might have been started from seed, which take a very long time to flower.
I have found a few wisterias already in bloom at my local nurseries, and that’s the key is to buy one already in bloom and that way you know it will flower in the future. Also, be careful if you are fertilizing your grass nearby as too much nitrogen will encourage green growth instead of flowers. Also, do not fertilize your wisteria at all as they prefer lean soil.
There are Youtube videos on how to prune and when that you can watch to learn what to take off, being careful not to cut off future flower blooms. Good luck.
C.knight says
I’ve also had mine over 20 yrs, have done everything and nothing will get it to bloom. Even digging it up and out only for it to grow back,still without blooms. I did buy a smaller blossom 1. Might be the English type,it blooms but smells really bad. I just bought a tree one, idk why, impulse purchase. Good luck
Linda says
I have a wisteria that is about 4 to 5 years old. It is growing in an arbor. Grows good but has not bloomed. Any suggestions would be appriciated. Thanks.
Mavis Butterfield says
There are a couple of reason it might not be blooming.
1. The wisteria may not be mature enough. Some say wisteria needs to be 7+ years old to bloom.
2. There is too much nitrogen in your soil. if you think it might be your soil, grab a simple soil test kit off Amazon or your local nursery. The kits usually run about $7.
I hope that helps.
Kim says
My wisteria has never bloomed in 15 years. I tried epsom salt. Nothing. Someone told us we need to get another for cross pollination. My husband wants to cut it down. It’s a tree. Not vine. We do prune it when needed. It grows fine. Never flowered once…
Nayeli says
I was wondering if you can help me. I bought wisteria about the 2nd week of March from Lowe’s. It was just a little stem and a few leaves. When I planted it outside the leaves shriveled ans died. Now it has no leaves but a thin little stem. I scratched the stem at the very bottom and it’s green underneath. I’m wondering if my plant is dead.
Mavis Butterfield says
If it’s green I’m sure it’s still alive and maybe just “shocked” by it’s new environment. Give it a few months and if it doesn’t come back to life, see if Lowe’s will replace it for you.
nayeli says
I think you are right, a little green stem is finally coming out. I am so excited. I think it was just transplant shock. Thank you so much
Cindy says
I just planted a wisteria last spring but I want to move it to a new home. Do you suggest putting it in a pot until I can I figure out new location for it?
Mavis Butterfield says
As long as it has plenty of room for it’s roots.
Ashley says
I rescued a whistera and a trellis from a friend when i bought my house 12 years ago. It soon was growing super fast. I started putting up these little metal fences from Lowe’s along side of it and weaving it in and out of it. I now prune it at least every two weeks to keep it in bounds. This was my first experience with an invasive vine. It’s really pretty well kept on this fence. Looks like a hedge. Never blooms because i have to prune it too much. I wish i could post a picture. Its a focal point for sure…. but my biggest gardening mistake ever. Garden and learn! That’s what makes it fun
Sue says
My wisteria is at least 30 yrs old. It drapes my wall on three sides. Two of the neighbors like it, but one does not. I want to prune it all back and even do some root pruning. I have so many plants I could really use more wall space. Thanks for the info.
Barbara says
I planted my Wisteria probably 5-6 years ago; it still has NEVEr produced a flower… It is in a sunny location I have only pruned it a couple times. I’m NOT sure when to prune.
I live in SE KS; I started these from seedlings…
I LOVE WISTERIA… how “if possible do I get it to flower? SHould I consider moving it to a more sunny place
Someone… Plesase HELP
Thanks
B in KS
Dawn Mitchell-Lombardozzi says
We bought our new home in October 2018. The former owners gad ALOT of wisteria growing but didn’t keep in check. It was so out of control when we bought ut, it was tangled in the Apple tree, pulling it to on side…and had grown onto our neighbors house, pulling the siding ect right off his house. We had to cut down and remove the majority of the plants in order to stop it. We left two stumps, which have started to regrow, but THIS time We are going to train them, trim them and keep them short. Much like a tall bonsai style.Some of the roots were insane to find and dig up.
Hope says
I was given some wisteria seeds by my mother in law from her tree in Texas. I live at 8600 ft elevation in Colorado. I managed to sprout the seeds and one survived after transplanting outside. I currently have a makeshift greenhouse over it and it’s doing awesome. I’ve heard this is a very hardy vine and can grown in a lot of different places.. just curious if anyone has tried growing it in a similar climate? If so any advice? Thanks!
Angie says
Has anyone ever planted a Wisteria in a planter and had success?
Laura says
Yes I have planted mine since I bought it ,it was just a little stick when I bought it now it has grown about 4 ft in about 3 yrs , hasn’t flowered yet but I recommend a heavy duty trellis so it won’t just grow all kinds of ways . Mine probably needs to start pruning.
Marquita says
Which wisteria is the one that has very stinky flowers? My mother always had lovely scented wisteria growing in our backyard when I was a child. But I never knew the type. Would anyone happen to know ?
Also, what is the difference between Chinese and Japenese wisteria varieties? Never knew about those either.
Shelly says
I have had my wisteria 7+ years, it get blooms but they are small not the nice big blooms you would expect. What can I do to produce larger blooms?
Lynn says
A heavy snow storm this winter bent my hysteria in half, broke the trellis it was on and split a few of the branches – down the middle. Any advice on how to mend the branches? Can we tape them or tar them?
Marilyn says
How to mend Wisteria cracked branches ?Its and old fine just put it on new trellis.
James E Knowles says
I am looking for wisteria that:
1] Can take the climate and cold of Denver
2] blooms twice a year
3] the fragrance is pleasant
4] question…..can I plant it in ground in a plastic or metal container??
Could be a 5gallon bucket or a garbage can…..to keep the runners from spreading??
So appreciate your advice…!!
Thanks
just jim
Mavis Butterfield says
That’s a tricky one. You may have to Google for the Denver area. 🙂