A lovely, fragrant native wisteria that hosts silver spotted-skippers! These large vines are winter hardy and bloom after their leaves are fully emerged. Flowers best in full sun but can tolerate part shade. Grows quickly once its roots are down. A happy plant with plenty of sun may begin blooming at ~4 years old.

Wisteria are twining vines, not clinging vines, so cannot crawl up flat surfaces. Large, sturdy supports are best, such as large arbors, gazebos (with attached trellis or wire fencing for the vine to climb), or sacrificial fences (older vines will completely cover large sections of fence and eventually warp it). This is a very large species, and is not suitable for a typical 5’-6’ clematis trellis. It can be pruned to an extent, but significant pruning will prompt suckering.

Pollination: Self pollinating.

Light: Full Sun, Part Sun/Shade

Soil Moisture: Wet, Wet Mesic, Mesic

Soil Type: Loam, Clay Loam, Sandy Loam

Height: 15’-30’

Width: 4’-8’

Bloom Color: Purple

Bloom Time: Apr-May

Fruit: Brown seeds mature in twisting bean-like pods.

Fall Color: -

Root Type: Unknown, likely branching?

Notable Wildlife Interactions: Little data available. Flowers attract large bees. Hosts the silver spotted-skipper.

Notes: A twining vine that takes to trellises and fences well, but will need to be trained up smoother surfaces, such as dead trees or large support beams on a deck/gazebo.