Have you ever been to Japanese wisteria gardens? Alleys of tall, thick trees, from which long clusters of inflorescences descend like waterfalls… The feeling is like being caught in a rain of flowers!
In fact, these are powerful vines belonging to the legume family. Their shoots resemble twine. In height, the trunk of the plant can reach from 8 to 10 meters. The leaves of profusely flowering wisteria are large, hard, up to 40 centimeters in length, and each of them consists of smaller leaves. Inflorescences, which can be up to 50 cm, include a large number of flowers. They bloom gradually, starting from the base of the brush.
As they grow, young shoots make circles clockwise, gradually twisting until they find support. The fruits can be stored throughout the winter. If compared with the Chinese variety, then the profusely flowering wisteria will benefit in several ways. It is more resistant to low temperatures, it is more decorative. That is why it is used in landscaping. Bred varieties with white, pale pink, pink flowers of a bluish or purple hue. There are curious varieties with racemes up to 1.5 m, with purple double flowers, with variegated leaves.
The wisteria plant is bred mainly in regions where the climate is warm: in the Crimea, in the Caucasus. And there, this colorful liana adorns parks and propagates by self-sowing. It can also be grown in cooler climates. To do this, you should take care of the safety of the seeds. They should be kept in paper bags, in a dry and unheated room. Even after 6 years they can remain viable. When planted in the ground, up to 80 percent of the seeds germinate.
A profusely flowering wisteria plant is planted in autumn or spring. Seeds are sown in prepared ridges, in which leafy compost is introduced, embedded in the soil to a depth of two to three centimeters. The plant is also propagated by cuttings and layering. The soil it likes neutral, fertile. Liana reaches for the sun and prefers that there is a lot of light in the area chosen for her. Nevertheless, profusely flowering wisteria is a heat-loving plant, it can not be planted in the vastness of Russia everywhere, but only in the southern regions. Despite theoretical frost resistance, it is sensitive to cold. Therefore, gardeners should not believe advertising and buy seedlings in the markets. After all, they may not take root, they will not have enough heat for a successful vegetation, even shelter for the winter will not save them from freezing.
Despite the fact that the plant is a vine, wisteria at home can develop quite well. This requires special care. In summer, you need to keep the plant onoutdoors, carry out regular spraying. In winter, store it in the basement. Water moderately, maintaining soil moisture. When buds appear, it must be fed with liquid fertilizer for flowering plants. It is necessary to plant in the soil, consisting of a mixture of leafy, clay-soddy soil, sand and humus. In July, the vine needs pruning of side branches.
