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Fabaceae FAMILY

Wisteria sinensis

Wisteria sinensis

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

The seed of all members of this genus is poisonous[1]. The bark contains a glycoside and a resin that are both poisonous[2]. The seed and seedpod contain a resin and a glycoside called wisterin. Toxic in large quantities, causing nausea, vomitting, stomach pain and diarrhoea[3]. Their consumption has caused the poisoning of children in many countries, producing mild to severe gastro-enteritis[4, 5].

Cultivation Details

HabitDeciduous Climber
GrowthFast

Wisteria sinensis is moderately cold-hardy, tolerating temperatures down to around -15°c when fully dormant[6, 1]. Prefers a good loamy soil in a sunny south or south-west facing position, sheltered from cold winds and from early morning sun on frosty mornings[7, 1]. Succeeds in partial shade. Plants can become chlorotic on alkaline soils[1]. A soil that is too rich results in excessive foliage at the expense of flowering[1]. A widely grown ornamental, the plant s as remarkable for its rapid growth as for its wealth of blossom[7]. There are several named forms selected for their ornamental value[8]. Plants can take a few years to settle down after planting out[9]. Too much shade or too rich a soil are normally the culprits, some form of root restriction can be beneficial[9]. Sparrows and other birds frequently eat the young buds of this plant and this is the commonest cause of poor flowering on established plants[6]. Plants sometimes have a second season of flowering in August[9]. The plants flower mainly on short spurs so, if removing unwanted side-branches, it is best to cut them back to 2 - 3 leaves rather than removing them completely since this will encourage the formation of flowering spurs[4]. Any drastic pruning is best carried out in the spring, immediately after flowering[4]. Plants are very tolerant of even the most drastic pruning and will re-grow even if cut right back to the base[4]. A climbing plant supporting itself by twining around other plants, the shoots twine in an anticlockwise direction[10, 4]. Very tolerant of pruning, plants can regenerate from old wood[11]. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[1]. Closely related to W. floribunda[12]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[1]. The plants also form a symbiotic relationship with a mycorrhizal fungus which makes more water, phosphorus and other minerals available to the plants[4].

Propagation

The seed does not exhibit any dormancy habits. It can be sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame and should germinate in the spring. Pre-soak stored seed for 24 hours in warm water and then sow in a greenhouse in early spring. The seed can also be sown in an outdoor seedbed in late spring[12]. Germination should take place in the first spring, though it can sometimes be delayed for another 12 months. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer. Plants are very slow from seed and can take up to 20 years to come into flower[1]. Basal cuttings of side-shoots in early to mid summer in a frame[1]. Take the cuttings as soon as the new growth has hardened sufficiently, each cutting should have 2 - 3 leaves[4]. It can also help to remove a shallow slice of bark from the bottom 15mm of the cutting to expose extra cambium, since this will encourage more callusing and better rooting[4]. When kept in a mist frame with a bottom heat of 27 - 30°c, they will root within 4 weeks and produce well-established plants by the autumn[4]. Layering in spring. Simply lay any convenient long shoot along the ground and cover it with a shallow layer of soil. The shoot will readily produce roots at intervals along the stem. When these are well formed, the shoot can be divided up into a number of plants. These should be potted up and kept in a lightly shaded position in a greenhouse until well established and can then be planted out as required. Division of suckers in the winter[4]. If growing named varieties, it is of course necessary to ensure they are growing on their own roots if the suckers are to be true to type[4]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Wisteria+sinensis>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  2. [2]Medicinal Plants of China — Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. · Reference Publications, Inc. · 1985 · ISBN 0-917256-20-4 ↩︎Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
  3. [3]People Plants Database — https://maoriplantuse.landcareresearch.co.nz/WebForms/default.aspx ↩︎An online database of New Zealand plants and their Maori names and uses. An excellent information source.
  4. [4]Wisterias: a comprehensive guide. — Valder. P. · Florilegium. Australia. · 1995 · ISBN 0-646-22049-7 ↩︎Excellent information and photographs of this genus with a little bit about their uses.
  5. [5]Poisonous Plants of North Carolina — http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/poison.htm ↩︎An excellent concise but comprehensive guide to toxic plants that grow in N. Carolina. It lists even those plants that are of very low toxicity, including several well-known food plants such as carrots and potatoes.
  6. [6]Shrubs. — Phillips. R. & Rix. M. · Pan Books · 1989 · ISBN 0-330-30258-2 ↩︎Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1,900 species and cultivars.
  7. [7]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  8. [8]The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers — Brickell. C. · Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. · 1990 · ISBN 0-86318-386-7 ↩︎Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
  9. [9]Gardening on Walls — Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. · Collins · 1983 · ISBN 0-00-219220-0 ↩︎A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.
  10. [10]Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. — Thomas. G. S. · Murray · 1992 · ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 ↩︎Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
  11. [11]Climbers and Wall Shrubs. — Davis. B. · Viking. · 1990 · ISBN 0-670-82929-3 ↩︎Contains information on 2,000 species and cultivars, giving details of cultivation requirements. The text is terse but informative.
  12. [12]The Plantsman. Vol. 6. 1984 - 1985. — ? · Royal Horticultural Society · 1984 · ISBN - ↩︎Excerpts from the periodical giving cultivation details and other notes on some of the useful plants including Actinidia and Wisteria species.
  13. [13]Fire Effects Information System — http://www.feis-crs.org/feis/ ↩︎An on-line information site with comprehensive information on over 1,100 species of plant. Mainly developed to supply information on the effects of fire on plants and animals, it also contains a wealth of other information on the plants
  14. [14]Plantae Wilsonae. Vol 1 - 3 — Wilson. E. H. · University Press; Cambridge. · 1911 - 1917 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org ↩︎Details of the palnts collected by the plant collector E. H. Wilson on his travels in China. Gives some habitats. Not for the casual reader. It can be downloaded from the internet.
  15. [15]Tanaka's Cyclopedia of Edible Plants of the World. — Tanaka. T. & Nakao S. · Keigaku Publishing; Tokyo · 1976 · ISBN - ↩︎The most comprehensive list of edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
  16. [16]Plants for Human Consumption. — Kunkel. G. · Koeltz Scientific Books · 1984 · ISBN 3874292169 ↩︎An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
  17. [17]Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications · 1990 · ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 ↩︎Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
  18. [18]Famine Foods listed in the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. — Reid. B. E. · Southern Materials Centre; Taipei · 1977 · ISBN - ↩︎A translation of an ancient Chinese book on edible wild foods. Fascinating.
  19. [19]Chinese Materia Medica. — Stuart. Rev. G. A. · Taipei. Southern Materials Centre · 1911 · ISBN - ↩︎A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.
  20. [20]Plant Fibres for Papermaking. — Bell. L. A. · Liliaceae Press · 1988 · ISBN - ↩︎A good practical section on how to make paper on a small scale plus details of about 75 species (quite a few of them tropical) that can be used.
  21. [21]CosIng — http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/ ↩︎CosIng is the European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients.