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Wisteria
Wisterias are a genus of fast-growing, woody twining vines in the pea family, with the commonly grown members being Japanese wisteria (W. floribunda) and Chinese wisteria (W. sinensis). They need full sun, fertile well-drained soil and a sturdy support, and they can be invasive in parts of the US.
Wisteria is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae (Leguminosae). The genus includes four species of woody twining vines that are native to China, Japan, and the Eastern United States (see Asa Gray disjunction). Some species are popular ornamental plants. They were introduced to Europe, the Indian subcontinent, and other countries around the world. The genus name is also used as the English name, and may then be spelt 'wistaria'.
In North America, W. floribunda (Japanese wisteria) and W. sinensis (Chinese wisteria) are far more popular than other species for their abundance of flowers, clusters of large flowers, variety of flower colors, and fragrance. W. sinensis was brought to the United States for horticultural purposes in 1816, while W. floribunda was introduced around 1830. Because of their hardiness and tendency to escape cultivation, these non-native wisterias are considered invasive species in many parts of the U.S., especially the Southeast, due to their ability to overtake and choke out other native plant species.
W. floribunda (Japanese wisteria), which has the longest racemes of wisteria species, is decorative and has given rise to many cultivars that have won the prestigious Award of Garden Merit.
All parts of the plant contain a saponin called wisterin, which is toxic if ingested, and may cause dizziness, confusion, speech problems, nausea, vomiting, stomach pains, diarrhea, and collapse. There is debate over whether the concentration outside of the seeds is sufficient to cause poisoning. Some Japanese sources assure that parts of the W. floribunda can be eaten at certain stages if prepared properly and in moderate amounts: young shoots and leaves may be eaten after blanching or boiling before serving with rice or fried while seeds may be consumable if harvested between July to September when they are not bitter. Nevertheless, wisteria seeds outside that caveat have caused cases of poisoning in children and pets of many countries, producing mild to severe gastroenteritis and other effects.
Wisteria species are used as food by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including different kinds of moths.
Silky Wisteria · Japanese wisteria · American wisteria · Chinese wisteria
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Wisteria by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.
