2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Fragrant brushes of lilac-blue flowers are associated with blue sea waves, enveloping southern warmth and romance. But a deciduous climbing shrub can also grow in central Russia, if you prepare a cozy tub for it and put it indoors for the winter
Genus wisteria
A dozen species of deciduous shrub lianas are combined into the genus Wisteria. The botanical name of the genus Wisteria (Wisteria) immortalized the name of the American scientist, Caspar Wistor, who was engaged in anatomy in the late 18th - early 19th centuries. Such a name will not tell about the qualities of the plant, while the name "Wisteria", for those who know the Greek language, will tell about the sweetness of the floral scent. After all, the word "wisteria" means "sweet".
The climbing shrub is covered with odd-pinnate leaves, consisting of light green oblong-oval leaves, and clusters of inflorescences of lilac-blue flowers of irregular shape, exuding a pleasant aroma. After the leaves appear in the spring, the first wave of abundant flowering begins, which can be picked up by a second, summer, less intense wave.
The flowering shrub is similar to the foaming waves of the sea, light and delicate. The poetess Novella Matveeva compared them with the tenderness of frost, writing that the bloom of Wisteria is even softer than the finest frost.
Varieties
* Lush-blooming wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) - native to Japan. It is inferior in splendor to the more popular Chinese Wisteria in the world. Thin clusters, collected from lilac-blue flowers, reach a length of 30 cm and bloom in May-June. Cirrus leaves consist of lanceolate or oblong-oval leaves of a light green color. Flowers of different varieties can be white, pink or have a double structure. This surprisingly decorative vine with a sweetish aroma is very popular and beloved in Japan. In the city of Kitakyushu in the Japanese flower garden, a unique Wisteria tunnel has been created, a living product of nature and human hands.
* Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) is a popular beauty, distinguished by a special splendor of flowering from violet-blue, white flowers, collected in dense long brushes. Leaves are compound, consisting of oval-lanceolate leaflets. A nimble liana easily reaches a height of 15 meters, clinging tightly to the support.
* Beautiful wisteria (Wisteria x formosa) is a child of the two species described above. Its feathery leaves consist of slightly pubescent leaves and light lilac-pink flowers, collected in a brush, the length of which is somewhat shorter than that of its parents, and reaches 25 cm. Differs in attractive decorativeness.
* Wisteria venusta (Wisteria venusta) - blooms in early summer, showing the world dense clusters-inflorescences, collected from white flowers with yellow markings. The length of the inflorescences is up to 15 cm. There are varieties with purple flowers and double white flowers.
Growing
Although in the literature you can find information that Wisteria is resistant to high and low temperatures, and some enthusiasts manage to grow it in Moscow, St. Petersburg and even Siberian lands, nevertheless, this fragrant beauty prefers a warm climate, in which it demonstrates all its best abilities, decorating nature with long flower tassels of different colors and filling the space with a sweet aroma, conducive to daydreaming and the flight of fantasy. Chinese Wisteria is considered the most resistant to frost.
Her climbing abilities are used to decorate arches, living tunnels, pergolas; for decorating hedges, walls and walls of houses. Liana decorate balconies and terraces, garden pavilions. And for northerners, growing Wisteria in the "bonsai" style is suitable.
Any soil is suitable, well-drained, without excess lime.
Grows in full sun, but also tolerates partial shade. Watering is required for young plantings, adult plants withstand drought.
Reproduction
Propagated by summer layering using long shoots; garden forms - by grafting, cuttings or seeds.
Enemies
Sweet things are loved not only by people, but also by aphids, ticks. Calcareous soils provoke chlorosis.
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Wisteria
Wisteria sometimes also called wisteria. This plant is considered perennial, but it is very often also grown at home. Under natural conditions, the height of the plant can reach five meters, and the length of the inflorescence reaches fifty centimeters.
