Wisteria floribunda 'Aunt Dee' - Aunt Dee Japanese Wisteria

One of the hardiest of all wisterias, this breathtaking vine features stunning chains of lilac purple flowers cascading from the stems in spring; vigorous almost to a fault, this twining vine can grow quite woody, needs ample support and full sun

Height: 30 feet. Spread: 24 inches. Sun: full sun. Hardiness zone: 4a.

Ornamental features

Aunt Dee Wisteria is bathed in stunning chains of fragrant lilac purple pea-like flowers hanging below the branches from mid to late spring. It has green deciduous foliage which emerges coppery-bronze in spring. The narrow pinnately compound leaves turn yellow in fall.

Landscape

Aunt Dee Wisteria is a multi-stemmed deciduous woody vine with a twining and trailing habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a high maintenance woody vine that will require regular care and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting hummingbirds to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

Recommended for: Hedges/Screening, General Garden Use.

Planting and growing

Aunt Dee Wisteria will grow to be about 30 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. As a climbing vine, it tends to be leggy near the base and should be underplanted with low-growing facer plants. It should be planted near a fence, trellis or other landscape structure where it can be trained to grow upwards on it, or allowed to trail off a retaining wall or slope. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.

This woody vine should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets.

Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder.