For anyone who has a wisteria vine growing in a garden, spring is one of the favorite times of the year. Even thought the elegant clusters of flowers are somewhat short-lived, I try and enjoy every minute and open my windows to let their heavenly fragrance in when they make their appearance. More than 25 years ago, I planted a Chinese Wisteria vine (Wisteria sinensis) that has lavender-blue flowers, and I have carefully trained and pruned it to climb up a strong wrought-iron staircase railing. Wisterias can be quite invasive and need to be watched carefully, however, especially during their prime growing season in the spring and summer, when you can literally watch the vine grow before your eyes. Without proper pruning, this vine will easily take over both your home and garden. I have pruned my vine to keep it small and compact. A deciduous perennial vine that loses its leaves in the fall and early winter, the wisteria is a member of the pea family. As its flowers fade, velvety pealike pods will form on the vine under its leaves. While the wisteria may be in a family of edible cousins, its pods as well as all portions of the plant are poisonous. Asian wisterias are the most common grown in the United States, with Chinese being the most recognizable. Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) is another common variety that has more seed pods, and its vines encircle the host plant in a clockwise direction, opposite from the Chinese. Both varieties come in shades of lavenders and white. Easy to grow and requiring only moderate watering, the wisteria will thrive even amid a considerable amount of neglect. It prefers well-drained, slightly acidic soil and just a light application of fertilizer with more phosphorus than nitrogen. If fed too much nitrogen, your vine will have more leaf and vine growth than flowers. Apply a diluted amount of fertilizer in the winter after the vine has lost its leaves. This is the only time I feed my vine, and if you overwater or overfeed a wisteria, it may not bloom. Except for pruning, less is definitely more when it comes to the wisteria. On a trip to Portofino, Italy, I was fortunate to talk with one of the gardeners at the Splendido Hotel who cared for the century-old wisteria vine that shades the building’s celebrated terrace. Portofino’s weather is similar La Jolla’s, but it is a little colder in the early spring, so their wisteria blooms around May, when we visited. We sat under the ancient vine, covered with scented lavender-blue blossoms, and gazed out across the water knowing we were experiencing something very special and something we would never forget. Locally, you can enjoy the wisteria that grows on a large pergola outside the front entrance to the La Jolla Historical Society’s appropriately named Wisteria Cottage. Even a block away, you can smell its fragrant blossoms as you approach. Linda Marrone is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker in La Jolla. Pictures of her garden have appeared in local and national magazines.
