Japanese wisteria purple flowers
Japanese wisteria on a pergola
Japanese bunchgrass around a support
Japanese wisteria leaves
Contents
Find all our tips in the Monstera application
Japanese wisteria, a wisteria of dangerous charm
Contents
Find all our tips in the Monstera application
You don't need to be a seasoned botanist to understand that Japanese wisteria or Wisteria floribunda comes to us from the land of the rising sun. This member of the Fabaceae family has been gracing our gardens since the mid-19th century. But behind its delicate flowers lies a climbing plant that can prove formidable.
How to recognize Japanese wisteria, Wisteria floribunda?
Japanese wisteria is a shrub that reaches heights of up to nine meters. Its vines grow up to 30 meters long. Over time, the voluble stems lignify to form twisted trunks 25 centimetres in diameter.
To differentiate Japanese wisteria from its cousins, american Glycine or chinese Glycine, observe the direction in which the vines grow. Wisteria Floribunda is the only one of the three to twist clockwise.
Japanese wisteria is a deciduous shrub. Light green in spring and summer, it turns yellow in autumn before dropping. Leaves range from 11 to 19 leaflets, with stipules at the base. The alternate leaflets are oval with a tapering tip. They appear in spring, before flowering.
From May to July, blue, violet, sometimes white or pink flowers bloom in drooping clusters 20 to 50 centimetres long. Fragrant, they attract insects and pollinators.
They are followed by fruit. These are hanging, leathery, oblong pods. Although they look like beans, don't eat them. They can cause headaches and digestive problems.
Seeds are not the only toxic element. The whole plant is a danger to humans and animals. While Japanese wisteria is not lethal to us, it can be to other plants. It thrives by smothering nearby plants.
Our maintenance tips
It's often said that wisteria has to suffer to bloom. Translation: it needs little water and no fertilizer.
Wisteria is a deciduous plant. If its leaves turn yellow in autumn, don't panic. On the other hand, if they turn yellow in spring or summer, it's a sign that the soil is too chalky. You can then add potting soil or compost to improve soil quality.
Watering
Your Japanese Glycine supports mains water. You can water it with reclaimed rainwater or tap water.
Before watering, make sure the surface of the soil is at least five centimetres dry.
Don't forget to drain any stagnant water in the saucer or planter.
Spray
Your japanese Glycine hates wet foliage. You must not mist the plant.
Repotting
In spring, transfer your Wisteria floribunda to a larger pot, so that it can continue to grow.
Choose a pot or tub large enough to avoid repotting throughout the life of your Japanese Glycine. The container should be at least 60 centimetres deep and the same diameter.
Your pot should be pierced to allow excess water to drain away, and made of a frost-resistant material (wood, plastic or concrete).
Place a drainage layer at the bottom, such as pebbles, clay balls or pozzolan. Top up with a mixture of ordinary potting soil and garden soil. Plant your subject in the center, fill in with substrate and tamp to expel air pockets.
To keep the soil fresh, you can mulch the surface with wood shavings, clay balls or gravel.
Prune
After flowering, remove flowering stems and spent flowers. Cut flush with a clean, sharp instrument, such as pruning shears or scissors.
Use pruning shears or a clean, sharp tool to cut back the lateral branches. Keep ten centimetres (two eyes).
Prune the previous year's branches. Keep about five buds, or 20 centimetres.
Prune branches that don't go in the desired direction by cutting flush. Shorten others by a third.
Use a clean, sharp tool to prevent disease and facilitate healing.
Use a clean, sharp tool to prevent disease and facilitate healing.
Plantation
Before planting your Japanese Glycine, plan the support on which the plant will climb. Use thick wire or wooden beams so that it can hold on without damage. Don't fix the support directly against the wall. Leave a space of about twenty centimetres to allow air to circulate.
If you wish to plant your Japanese Glycine as a tree, prepare a stake on which to attach the branches that will make up the trunk.
Soak the root ball in non-calcareous water and drain. Meanwhile, dig a 40-centimetre hole in all directions. The hole should be about 50 centimetres from the plant's support.
At the bottom of the hole, place a layer of gravel to facilitate drainage, followed by a layer of soil. Plant your plant in the middle and fill in with a mixture of garden soil and potting compost. Tamp down to eliminate air bubbles.
Dig a trough and water for the first time. Hang the branches on the support to guide them.
If you want to grow your Japanese Glycine as a tree, group the main stems around your stake. Tangle them together. Then remove all the twigs from the trunk.
Cutting
Cutting is carried out during the strong growth phase, generally in spring and early summer.
To propagate cuttings, plant the seedling in a pot with a fine potting soil, such as potting soil for cuttings and seedlings, or a substrate that you have previously sieved.
Mist and cover with an empty bottle. Aerate your mini-greenhouse for a few minutes a day and spray two or three times a day.
Mist and cover with an empty bottle. Aerate your mini-greenhouse for a few minutes a day and spray two or three times a day.
Diseases / Threats
Information
| Family | Fabaceae - Fabaceae |
| Type | Glycine - Wisteria |
| Species | Japanese Glycine - Wisteria floribunda |
| Lifecycle | Perennial |
| Foliage | Deciduous |
| Exposure | |
| Substrats | |
| Planting methods |
Open ground In pots In tubs |
| Categories | |
| Tags |
Flowery Toxic |
| Origin |
East Asia |
| Hardiness (USDA) | 7a |
| Leaf color |
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| Flower colors |
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| Fruit color |
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