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Maureen Gilmer
Fabaceae
Wisteria sinensis 'Alba'
Chinese Wisteria
Introduced to Western gardens from its native China in 1816, Wisteria sinensis is a rampant, hardy, deciduous woody vine that blooms showily in late spring with long cascading clusters of lightly fragrant pea-flowers. The cultivar 'Alba' bears white flowers. They open in unison, providing a spectacular snowy display. Fuzzy green bean-like seedpods follow. The bright green pinnate leaves usually have 11 leaflets. This massive twiner can literally cover acres if allowed to romp freely.
This wisteria, like others, grows and blooms best in full sun and well-drained soil, and sometimes takes several years to flower. Soil that is too rich in nitrogen may promote leafage at the expense of flowers. Large and vigorous, Chinese wisteria needs a sturdy structure for support, and pruning to keep it in bounds. It can be trained as a small tree by staking a shoot upright, removing side shoots and restraining the top shoots by pruning for several years until the stem is self-supporting. It is listed as invasive in several areas including the eastern United States.
8 - 1
5 - 9
3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Vine/Liana
Full Sun, Partial Sun
20'-90' / 6.1m - 27.4m
Late Spring
China
Acidic, Neutral
Well Drained
Loam
Fast
Average Water
Vining/Climbing
Spring, Summer
Showy
White
Green, Brown
Green
Brown, Gray
Yes
No
Single
Medium
Matte
Smooth
Feature Plant, Screening / Wind Break, Vine
Sometimes
Butterflies
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