Consulta Plantas

Care of the plant Wisteria sinensis or Chinese wisteria

The genus Wisteria, family Fabaceae, includes 7 species of climbing shrubs native to China, Korea, Japan, and North America. Some species are: Wisteria sinensis, Wisteria floribunda, Wisteria frutescens, Wisteria venusta.

Common names: Chinese wisteria, Chinese kidney bean. This species is native to China.

They are deciduous woody climbing plants with a twisted trunk that reach 15 meters (49.2 feet) in height. The odd-pinnate leaves have light green ovate-lanceolate leaflets. The scented flowers appear in attractive, dense hanging clusters up to 30 cm in length and can be mauve, blue, white, pink or purple, depending on the variety; the flowers appear before the leaves. They bloom in spring.

They are used to cover walls, pergolas and fences. Do not use them to cover the facades of houses because strong branches can tear off pipes, pavements, gates, etc. In England they are grown in the form of a tree for the decoration of meadows. They are ideal for bonsai.

Wisteria sinensis needs full sun or semi-shade exposure. They have good resistance to frost.

They grow well in normal garden soil that contains organic matter but prefer it to be a little loamy.

Water regularly in spring and summer so that the substrate does not dry out completely. Reduce watering in autumn and winter; they do not withstand drought.

Fertilize in winter with manure or compost.

In summer they can be attacked by aphids and mites especially if they suffer from drought.

It's important to prune, in early winter, the branches that have not flowered and trim the tender shoots in late summer.

They are propagated by cuttings and by layering in summer.

Images of the plant Wisteria sinensis or Chinese wisteria