Wisteria frutescens
American wisteria

Notes:

Kentucky wisteria is considered var. macrostachya of this species.

Not recommended for Sunset zone 37 (stops at 34), but considering that var. macrostachya is said to be cold hardy all the way to USDA zone 3, I don't worry too much about this.

Twining (needs support). Do not use a tree as support, as the wisteria will crush it under its eventual weight. Still not as rampant as the invasive foreign wisterias (W. sinensis, W. floribunda) though. Also doesn't usually take forever to begin flowering like they do, and when they do bloom, it's well past any late spring frosts. Unfortunately, Druse compares the fragrance unfavorably to that of the Asian invaders; I haven't yet gotten close enough to a flowering specimen to weigh in personally.

Difficult to transplant.

Seeds poisonous.

'Amethyst Falls' has earned the PHS Gold Medal Award. Var. macrostachya 'Blue Moon' may bloom up to thrice in a single growing season.

Sources: Sunset, Missouri BG, Dirr, NCSU, USDA, Druse.

Buy 'Amethyst Falls' at PlantingTree.com (affiliate link; supports this website)

Tags:

acidic soil preferred
alkaline soil intolerant
attracts:bees
attracts:butterflies
attracts:larval host
clay tolerant
compacted soil tolerant
deer resistant
drought tolerant
exposure:full sun
exposure:part shade
fast-growing
form:multi-trunked
form:shrub
form:trainable to single trunk
form:tree
form:vine
fragrant flowers
full sun preferred
habit:vine
infertile soil tolerant
long-lived
native:eastern North America
nitrogen fixing
persistence:deciduous
PHS Gold Medal Award
poisonous
pruning required
rich soil preferred
salt intolerant
sandy soil tolerant
showy flowers
type:broadleaf
use:groundcover
use:hedge
use:specimen
water:moderate to little
water:regular


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