Wisteria floribunda

Wisteria floribunda (common name Japanese wisteria) is a species of flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae, native to Japan and Korea. Growing to 9 m (30 ft), it is a woody, deciduous twining climber. It was brought from Japan to the United States in the 1830s.[1][2] Since then, it has become one of the most highly romanticized flowering garden plants. It is also a common subject for bonsai, along with Wisteria sinensis (Chinese wisteria).

Wisteria floribunda
Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Eudicots
(unranked):
Rosids
Order:
Fabales
Family:
Fabaceae
Subfamily:
Faboideae
Genus:
Wisteria
Species:
W. floribunda
Binomial name
Wisteria floribunda

The flowering habit of Japanese wisteria is perhaps the most spectacular of the Wisteria genus. It sports the longest flower racemes of any wisteria; they can reach nearly half a meter in length. These racemes burst into great trails of clustered white, pink, violet, or blue flowers in early- to mid-spring. The flowers carry a distinctive fragrance similar to that of grapes. The early flowering time of Japanese wisteria can cause problems in temperate climates, where early frosts can destroy the coming years' flowers. It will also flower only after passing from juvenile to adult stage, a transition that may take many years just like its cousin Chinese wisteria.

Japanese wisteria can grow over 30m long over many supports via powerful clockwise-twining stems. The foliage consists of shiny, dark-green, pinnately compound leaves 10–30 cm in length. The leaves bear 9-13 oblong leaflets that are each 2–6 cm long. It also bears numerous poisonous, brown, velvety, bean-like seed pods 5–10 cm long that mature in summer and persist until winter. Japanese wisteria prefers moist soils and full sun in USDA plant hardiness zones 5-9.[3] The plant often lives over fifty years.

Cultivars

Those marked agm have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

  1. 'Shiro Noda', 'Snow Showers' or 'Longissima Alba' agm[4] - long white flower clusters
  2. 'Kuchibeni' or 'Carnea' - pink flowers
  3. ‘Domino’ agm[5] - pale lilac
  4. 'Honbeni' or 'Rosea' agm[6] - pale rose flowers tipped purple, 18 in (46 cm) long
  5. 'Issai Perfect' - light lavender flowers
  6. 'Ito Koku Riu' or 'Royal Purple' - dark blue or violet flowers, lightly scented, long clustered bunches, 30–50 cm (12–20 in) long
  7. 'Jako' or 'Ivory Tower'
  8. ‘Kokuryu’ agm[7] - violet, scented
  9. 'Lawrence' agm[8] - pale violet flowers, deeper violet keel and wings
  10. 'Longissima Kyushaku' - mauve-purple flowers on a raceme up to 6 ft (1.8 m)[9] or even seven feet (2.13 meters)[10] in length
  11. 'Macrobotrys' or 'Longissima' - reddish-violet flower clusters 1 m (3.3 ft) or longer
  12. 'Macrobotrys Cascade' - white and pinkish-purple flowers, vigorous grower
  13. 'Multijuga' agm[11] - violet flowers with darker markings
  14. 'Nana Richins Purple' - purple flowers
  15. 'Nishiki' - variegated foliage
  16. 'Plena' or 'Violaceae Plena' - double blue flowers in dense clusters
  17. 'Praecox' or 'Domino' - purple flowers
  18. 'Purpurea' - unknown - may be Wisteria sinensis ‘Consequa’ which is sometimes labeled purpurea
  19. 'Rubra' - unknown - may be ‘Honbeni’ - sometimes labeled as Rubrum - deep pink to red flowers
  20. 'Texas Purple' - may be a sinensis or a hybrid, short racemes, purple flowers, produced while the plant is still young
  21. 'Violacea Plena' - double violet flowers, rosette-shaped
  22. 'White with Blue Eye' - also known as ‘Sekines Blue’ - very fragrant[12]

References
  1. "Wisteria floribunda, W. sinensis". United States Forest Service. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  2. "Japanese Wisteria". National Park Service. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  3. Purple Patches Japanese Wisteria (includes some growth conditions and US region map) www.monrovia.com, accessed 13 May 2020
  4. "RHS Plant Selector - Wisteria floribunda 'Alba'". Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  5. "Wisteria floribunda 'Domino'". RHS. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  6. "RHS Plant Selector - Wisteria floribunda 'Rosea'". Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  7. "Wisteria floribunda 'Kokuryu'". RHS. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  8. "Wisteria floribunda 'Lawrence'". RHS. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  9. "Creator's Palette- pictures of Wisteria floribunda Longissima". www.creatorspalette.com. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  10. <not stated> (December 7, 1929). "Title not noted". Gardener's Chronicle. 86 (3rd series) (4641): 446–447.
  11. "RHS Plant Selector - Wisteria floribunda 'Multijuga'". Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  12. Peter., Valder (1995). Wisterias : a comprehensive guide. Portland, Or.: Timber Press. ISBN 0881923184. OCLC 32647814.
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