Wisteria is wonderful. The main types of wisteria (wisteria), description and photo. An excerpt characterizing Wisteria

Wisteria bloom is a whirlpool bright colors when long brushes - purple, blue, white and pink clusters, emitting a sweetish aroma - rush down with an unstoppable waterfall. It is not in vain that the restrained Japanese compare a garden with blooming wisterias with a walk in paradise.

Growing wisteria in horticultural culture is actively used for the site, because it occupies a minimum area, it has an exceptional decorative effect. With the help of wisteria, you can not only decorate a wall (it is not for nothing that it is called a “garden climber”, it grows by easily climbing supports), a fence or any building, but also mask visually unsightly “technical” parts of the garden, zone the yard with green screens and get protection and shelter from wind and sun.

Types of wisteria: Chinese, floriferous and frost-resistant

Wisteria as a genus includes 9 species, but only a few are most widespread in our country:

• Chinese - Wisteria chinensis, densely leafy creeper, reaching a height of up to 20 m. Its flowers are inflorescences of light purple, less often white, up to 30 cm long, while the flowers bloom almost simultaneously in the entire inflorescence. Wisteria blooms its flowers simultaneously with the appearance of foliage and continues to bloom all summer. The secondary flowering is quite common between August and September. Cirrus graceful foliage adds to its decorative effect, its golden color will decorate autumn garden. With proper systematic pruning, you can get a tree-like upright or standard shape. It perfectly adapts to the conditions of the city, can tolerate short frosts down to -20C. Decorative forms: with terry and white flowers

• profusely flowering - Wisteria floribunda or multi-flowered, leads its pedigree from Japan. It reaches a height of about 8-10 m and a width of up to 6 m, has large (45-50 cm) racemose hanging conical inflorescences with violet-blue flowers. It begins to bloom after the appearance of leaves, compared to Chinese - 2-3 weeks later. In this case, the flowers bloom gradually, starting from the base of the brush and gradually descending lower. It blooms until the beginning of summer (mid-June), but in some varieties re-blooming occurs in July-August. Compared with another popular species - Chinese wisteria, this variety is more decorative (after flowering, abundant large, up to 45 cm, leaves act as an excellent decor) and more frost-resistant - it tolerates frosts down to -23C. There are a few decorative forms: white, pink, purple terry, with variegated leaves, large-clustered (inflorescences reach a length of up to 1.5 m)

• Blue Moon - frost-resistant wisteria, "adult" plants are able to endure frosts down to -37C without damage and without shelter. Made in USA, Minnesota. AT middle lane blooms in early June, flowering lasts about 2 weeks. Inflorescences 20-25 (sometimes up to 30 cm) long, blue

• Japanese wisteria - less common, primarily because of its low frost resistance, feels comfortable only on the coast of the Caucasus or in the Crimea. Less decorative than other species - white flowers, inflorescences 15-20 cm long.

Wisteria care: rules and features

Wisteria can not be called too demanding in care, it does not require much time. Enough must be observed simple rules care so that the plant grows actively and blooms profusely.

Choice of location. Wisteria is photophilous, under the sun should be at least 6 hours a day. At the same time, it should be well protected from a cold place, so the southern (southwest, southeast) will be the best place. house wall. When used in vertical gardening for shoots of wisteria, a durable and strong support should be selected. Due to the high windage of the vine, it must be stable and able to withstand a sufficiently high wind load.

Advice! The shoots must be tied up, otherwise they can independently braid around the support, and in the fall it will be very difficult to remove the vine without damage in order to press it to the ground for shelter for the winter.

The soil. Wisteria loves fertile, light, well-permeable, not very wet soil. It is very difficult to tolerate calcareous soils - in this case, it develops chlorosis - the leaves become very light and lose their decorative appeal. It is best to fill the landing pit (dimensions 60x60x50 cm) with a mixture of humus, peat and sand and soddy soil in a ratio of 1: 1: 1: 3 - this mixture contains many nutrients and contributes to the active development and further flowering of wisteria.

Watering. Wisteria does not like too wet soil - excessive soil moisture can cause leaves and buds to drop. In a very dry spring, wisteria should be shed abundantly so that, due to lack of moisture, the buds do not dry out and crumble. From the beginning of flowering until the end of summer, moderate watering is carried out - the soil should be only slightly moist. In order not to cause water stagnation at the wisteria root, in hot weather watering to carry out better method spraying. At the end of September, watering is practically stopped - the plant slows down growth and begins to prepare for winter.

Wisteria, or wisteria (Wisteria) - large flowering deciduous vines, valued for abundant and long flowering and fresh dark green foliage. Their fragrant flowers, white, blue, violet or purple, look like moths. Collected in large hanging brushes, they look extremely impressive against the backdrop of dense green foliage.

Typical for wisteria are complex, pinnate leaves, characteristic of most plants from the legume family, as well as fruits - elongated beans, flat, not falling for a long time, with lenticular seeds.

Wisteria has scattered vascular wood, the small vessels of which are surrounded by vascular tracheids and parenchyma.

The cultural area of ​​this kind in the USSR is widely spread over southern regions of our country: Western and Eastern Transcaucasia, Crimea and adjacent southern and southwestern regions of Ukraine, in separate areas Central Asia(in Turkmenistan).

The genus Wisteria includes 9 species. Their main distribution is in East Asia and North America. 6 species are cultivated in the USSR.

Wisteria, or wisteria profusely flowering (Wisteria floribunda) - deciduous liana, reaching a height of 10 m, with drooping branches. The bark is dark gray, shoots and calyx are pubescent. Large leaves, up to 35-40 cm long, consisting of 15-19 ovate-elliptical leaflets 6-8 cm long and 2-3 cm wide. Flowers 1.5-2 cm long, purple and violet-blue, collected in thin racemes reaching a length of 25 cm. The fruit is velvety, tapering towards the base, 10-15 cm long.

Naturally grown in Japan. In culture for a long time. In Western Europe, introduced since 1830, on Black Sea coast Caucasus - since the end of the 19th century, in the Crimea - since 1902. The cultural area today is the Crimea and the Caucasus. Recommended for further testing in colder and northern areas. In America, this wisteria is used as a horticultural crop for forcing and growing in a tub.

Wisteria, or wisteria chinensis (Wisteria sinensis) is a high (up to 15-18 m) deciduous liana, the diameter of the stem at the base reaches 40 cm. The shoots are silky-pubescent with short hairs. Leaves up to 30 cm long, with 7-13 leaflets, up to 8 cm long and 3 cm wide. The apex of the leaf is sharp, sometimes drawn and curved, the base is broadly wedge-shaped. Young leaves with dense appressed pubescence, adults are almost bare above, lightly pubescent below and lighter. The flowers are bluish-violet, about 2.5 cm long, with a slight odor, collected in rather dense, hanging racemes 15-30 cm long. The calyx and the axis of the inflorescence are pubescent. Gray-yellow beans 10-15 cm long, densely pubescent, cracking, with 1-3 seeds. Seeds kidney-shaped, rounded, yellow-brown.

Naturally distributed in China. In the culture of Western Europe since 1816, in our country - since 1826. The cultural area is the Southern Crimea, the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, Azerbaijan, the Krasnodar Territory, the Carpathians, Transcarpathia, Chisinau, Central Asia.

Wisteria, or wisteria beautiful (Wisteria venusta) - a vine with a height of more than 10 m with pubescent shoots. Leaves with 9-13 leaflets ovate, oblong-elliptical or oblong-lanceolate. Leaflets 6-10 cm long, short-pointed, with a round or almost heart-shaped base, silky-pubescent on both sides, more densely below.

The flowers are white, 2-2.5 cm long, in hanging racemes 10-15 (20) cm long. Pedicels 2.5-3 cm long, hairy. Velvety beans 15-20 cm long.

It grows wild in Japan. The non-double white-flowered form of this species is widely known in Japan only in cultivation. Form with purple flowers, wild, has not yet been introduced into the culture. In culture in Western Europe since the end of the XIX century. In the USSR on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus since 1936. There is a small amount in Adler in the park of the state farm "Southern Cultures".

Wisteria shrub (Wisteria frutescens) - a liana reaching a height of 12 m, with drooping branches. Young shoots glabrous or nearly glabrous. Leaves of 9-15 leaflets are elliptical-ovate, 2-5 cm long and up to 2.7 cm wide. Glabrous above, below with sparse adpressed hairs. The flowers are lilac-violet, about 2 cm long, in dense racemes 4-10 (15) cm long with a woolly axis. Flowers with hairs, calyx with short teeth and appressed pubescence. Pods 5-10 cm long, flattened, glabrous.

In the wild, it is widely distributed in North America - from Virginia to Florida and Texas. In culture since 1724. In our country since 1826. Occasionally found in parks on the southern coast of Crimea (blooms and bears fruit); in Chisinau and Tashkent (it freezes slightly, blooms and bears fruit) and on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus.

Wisteria large-leaved (Wisteria macrostachys) - from Central North America. Differs in longer inflorescences (20-30 cm) and longer calyx teeth.

wisteria japonica (Wisteria japonica) - liana. Shoots brownish, glabrous: Leaves of 9-13 ovate leaflets, 3-6 cm long and 2-2.5 cm wide, with a retracted, rounded apex at the end, with a rounded or almost heart-shaped base. The leaves are bare, shiny green. The flowers are white, 1-1.3 cm long, in axillary racemes 15-30 cm long, often branched. Calyx 5 mm long, glabrous, ciliated along the edges. Pods 8-10 cm long, glabrous, with 6-7 seeds. Distribution area - Japan.

In culture since 1878 In the USSR on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus since 1936 Currently growing in Batumi botanical garden; in Tashkent (in harsh winter freezes to the level of snow cover). Less winter-hardy and less beautiful than other species.

Wisteria grows well and develops quickly in loose, deep and fertile soils. Wisteria profusely flowering grows well on dry and sandy soils, as it has long, deeply penetrating roots. Demanding on lighting conditions, especially during flowering. It begins to bloom and bear fruit from 3-5 years. During one growing season, repeated flowering can be observed, but with shorter racemes. In hot weather, the flowering period is shortened, in rainy weather terry-shaped flowers rot. The fruit keeps until next spring.

Wisteria tolerates partial shade, but grows better in lighted places. Withstands frosts down to -20 °C. Medium drought tolerant. Does not tolerate gas.

Propagated by seeds, layering, cuttings and grafting on the roots. Seeds are sown in a greenhouse in December - January or in open ground in early spring. Seed germination lasts 2-3 years. Germination later. Cotyledons are not taken out by seedlings from the soil and remain in the ground. Seedlings have pinnate first leaves, with a small number of leaflets.

Cuttings of wisteria in open ground are carried out in conditions of natural growth and favorable culture in December-January or in cold greenhouses in summer. When propagating wisteria by layering, they are harvested for rooting in the fall. Root grafting is done in December.

Wisteria easily tolerates transplanting and pruning. Most often, wisteria is propagated by winter cuttings with one kidney in conditions closed ground. The cutting period is February-March. The harvested shoots are split in half along the axis, and then cuttings 5 ​​cm long with one bud in the middle of the cutting are cut from these halves. Rooting is done in boxes or pots in a greenhouse. To do this, the cuttings are immersed in the soil with the kidneys up at a distance of 4-5 cm from each other. Then they are sprinkled with sand with a layer of 1-1.5 cm.

In production conditions, green wisteria cuttings are more acceptable. Significantly increases the percentage of rooting (up to 100%), the treatment of green cuttings with a solution of indolylbutyric or indoleacetic acid at a concentration of 25 and 100 mg per 1 liter of water, respectively. Cuttings not treated with growth stimulants can take root only in conditions of artificial fog.

Wisteria is planted in pits 60x60x50 cm in size. Under planting in the spring, complete mineral fertilizer NPK is applied in a ratio of 1:2:1 at the rate of 25-30 g per 1 m 2 of planting area. Fertilizers are evenly scattered over the surface of the soil and covered with a rake.

When caring for these vines, it is necessary to apply liquid dressings with complete mineral fertilizer at the rate of 10-20 g per bucket of water per 1 m 2 of planting area.

When pruning the shoots of wisteria, one must not forget about the biology of its flowering. Flowers are formed on last year's and older wood or on short flower shoots. current year emerging from perennial wood. Therefore, in order to obtain flower formations, on the number of which the abundance of flowering depends, it is necessary annually after spring flowering severely cut off last year's shoots (their length should be no more than 30 cm).

wisteria or wisteria –it is tall, treelike, climbing plant the legume family. It grows in the southern regions, where it feels comfortable, gives abundant color and hibernates without shelter.

Wisteria has large, odd-pinnate leaves that first have a margin, and then become smooth. The flowers of the plant are light purple, rarely white. Appear on hanging loose brushes up to 30 cm long.

Wisteria blooms in spring, and throughout the summer it retains individual flowering brushes. This makes it a popular specimen for use in landscape design.

Wisteria needs good conditions. She needs bright sun and fertile soil. For it, you need to equip strong supports, since wisteria grows well over time and occupies a large area.

Wisteria-liana blooms when leaves have not yet appeared. They appear when the plant is already flowering.

Important! Beautiful wisteria flowers are not suitable for cutting, as they quickly fade. The beauty of flowering plants can only be enjoyed in its natural form.

Wisteria fruits are pubescent bean pods. Their length is up to 15 cm, inside there are several flat-rounded seeds.

Popular varieties of wisteria, common in our latitudes.

Chinese wisteria grows in mountain forests at an altitude of 500-1800 meters above sea level in the central and eastern parts of China. It is also found in Japan, and came to Europe in 1816.

The plant is a woody vine 15-25 meters high, the stems at the base have a diameter of 25-40 cm and twist counterclockwise, the bark is dark gray.

Wisteria Chinese blooms in April-May. May re-bloom in August-September. Racemes appear, which consist of many bluish-purple or white flowers with a faint aroma.

Flowers open at the same time. Their length is 2-5 cm, they have five petals. Inflorescences appear on the tops of branches or in the leaf axils of biennial shoots.

Wisteria of any variety is photophilous and demanding on the soil: it loves deep, fertile, moist soils. it frost-resistant variety, which will survive short-term temperature drops to -20 degrees. Chinese wisteria is quite comfortable in urban environments, so it is widely used in landscaping.

There are two garden forms of the species:

• white (alba) - white flowers;
• terry (plena) - double flowers.

Did you know? Wisteria can be propagated by seeds, but varietal characteristics are not transmitted. Also, in plants grown from seeds, not plentiful, late flowering is observed. Therefore, it is better to propagate wisteria cuttings and layering.

Not every wisteria is grown in gardens. But among garden varieties listed Wisteria profusely flowering. It reaches a height of 10 meters, which is much less than Chinese wisteria.

The leaves of profusely flowering wisteria or floribunda are large (up to 40 cm), complex - up to 19 leaves are collected in them. The flowers are small, purple-blue. Blooms 2-3 weeks later than Chinese wisteria. Flowers open gradually.

Wisteria profusely flowering frost-resistant. Withstands up to -23°.

In terms of decorativeness, it surpasses Chinese wisteria. It is used in landscaping due to the abundance beautiful leaves, colorful bloom. Inflorescences reach 60 cm in length. The fruits look spectacular.

Decorative forms of floriferous wisteria:

• white (alba) - with white flowers;
• pink (rosea) - pale pink flowers;
• purple double (violaceo-plena) - purple double flowers;
• macrobotrys - brushes up to 1.5 m in length, leaves up to 10 cm;
• variegated (variegata) - has variegated leaves.

Originally from Japan. Liana reaches a height of 10 meters, has pubescent shoots. The leaves are compound, 10 cm long. They are densely pubescent on both sides.

The flowers of the plant are white. Gathered in brushes up to 15-20 cm long. It begins to bloom in May-June. There are forms of beautiful wisteria with double white and purple flowers.

The fruits ripen in November and are 20 cm pods with a velvet edge.

Wisteria excellent suitable for growing in tubs.

originally from Japan. This creeper with white flowers is not as decorative as other species.

Important! Chinese wisteria begins to bloom at the age of three years, Japanese wisteria - at the age of ten. This plant is for those who know how to wait.

This variety of wisteria is less frost-resistant.

Native to North America shrubby wisteria.This creeper, reaching three meters in height, has drooping branches. Flowers blue-violet, small. The inflorescences of wisteria shrub reach 15 cm in length.

This beautiful plant is less common than other varieties. Wisteria shrub grows slowly. It can be grown in tubs.

The more thermophilic the plant, the more magnificent and unusual it is able to bloom. It so happened that the most exotic and beautiful plants- Natives of tropical latitudes.

The wisteria tree, or as it is also called wisteria, refers to thermophilic species and does not tolerate a decrease in ambient temperature below 20 degrees Celsius.

It is very difficult to grow this southern miracle in the garden of the Moscow region, but everything is possible if you try and believe in yourself.

This material discusses the main varieties of wisteria, the rules for planting and growing in various climatic conditions.

You can see photos of blooming wisteria and options for using wisteria for landscape design household plot:

Flowers or liana wisteria - description and photo of the plant

Among florists, there are constant disputes over the definition of the species of this plant. Flowers or liana? More like a tree.

Wisteria belongs to the legume family and naturally grows in southern and tropical regions. Does not experience any problems with growth, development and abundant flowering in the climatic conditions of the Crimean Peninsula, Kuban, North Caucasus, Mineralnye Vody.

It is there that you can see unusual tunnels, entwined pergolas and decorated hedges using similar vines.

When describing a plant, it should be immediately clarified that during cold, harsh and long winters, only the root system and young shoots can be preserved. And flowering occurs only on vines that have reached the age of 6-8 years.

Moreover, in the Moscow region, in a cold and rainy summer, it is extremely difficult to make wisteria bloom. She needs an abundance of sunlight and a constant ambient temperature without sudden changes at night and daytime.

Under suitable conditions for growth, the wisteria flower blooms 2 times per season. The first racemes bloom in early spring before the pinnate leaves appear. The second wave of flowering occurs at the beginning of August. The Latin name for the culture is Wisteria.

It is a lignified vine that does not have rapid growth. Usually, during the season, an increase in the vegetative mass of shoots is achieved by only 20 - 30 cm. It can grow to the height of the wall 5-7 years after planting.

A large deciduous mass perfectly decorates any surface, but racemose inflorescences, whose length reaches 35 cm, are of particular interest.

Look at the photo of wisteria at the time of its flowering - this is a magnificent sight, striking the imagination with its beauty and grace:

When growing frost-resistant wisteria from seeds, there is a chance in the Urals and in the Moscow region

Most species are not resistant to even minimal drops. temperature conditions and when the ambient temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius, the vine dies.

Although new shoots from the root system may appear next year, there will be very little sense from them. Re-frozen wisteria blooms no earlier than 7 years later.

Growing wisteria in the Moscow region requires a special approach to storing the plant in winter time of the year. As a rule, the best result is obtained when using container culture.

But it should be borne in mind that to accommodate an adult vine, you will need a container with a volume of at least 40 liters. Garden barrels, plastic fonts and much more are used.

AT autumn period until the first snow falls, the container is brought into warm room, where in winter the minimum illumination and watering is provided once a week. In winter, no fertilizing is necessary.

In early March, the plant is taken out to a bright room and active watering begins 2-3 times a week. Foliage can be sprayed with solutions with the addition of growth stimulants.

Wisteria is grown in a similar way in the Urals and in other regions of risky farming. This is quite laborious, but the result is worth it, especially since the inquisitive minds of amateur gardeners have already found alternative ways to cultivate this crop in areas with a harsh climate.

As practice shows, when growing wisteria from seeds, even in the Urals and in the Moscow region, there is a chance to get abundant double flowering in summer and autumn season. This method is characterized by a long wait for the tree to mature.

Growing wisteria begins with a choice suitable variety. Here you need to pay attention to the cold-resistant hybrids of the F1 series. They should be zoned as much as possible.

Plants grown from seeds obtained under the conditions of future crop growth are distinguished by good resistance.

Look at the photo grown in the conditions of the Urals and the Moscow region frost-resistant wisteria:

Planting seedlings and seeds of wisteria and subsequent plant care

In the presence of favorable climatic conditions effective method creeper breeding is a prepared in advance grown planting material.

Wisteria seedlings are offered by many agricultural companies engaged in professional breeding rare plants. In this case, the procedure for planting wisteria is not difficult: a piece of land is prepared, holes are dug up to 20 cm deep, nutrient soil, humus and mineral fertilizers, direct rooting is performed.

Watering after planting is carried out daily at 2-2.5 liters for each plant. Effectively mulch the soil with fresh cut grass. This ensures the safety optimal level soil moisture even during dry periods of summer.

Reproduction in the future is possible by cuttings and rooting layering obtained during pruning from an adult tree. To do this, shoots are selected with an age of 1 year and cut into cuttings up to 25 cm long.

The cut is processed with crushed coal or wood ash and dries up. After that, digging is carried out to a depth of 5 cm in a mixture of soddy soil, humus and sand.

After 40 - 45 days, the cutting develops a powerful root system and it can be transplanted to a permanent "place of residence".

Planting wisteria seeds will require patience from the gardener due to the extremely slow growth and development of the plant in the first 5 years.

Sowing is carried out in the first half of February, germination requires high level humidity, heat(about 30 degrees Celsius) and complete darkness. Therefore, the container is closed with black polyethylene and placed in the warmest place of the house or apartment.

The first shoots can be seen after 1 calendar month. In phase 4 of these leaves, a pick is carried out in a container with a volume of at least 500 ml.

During the period of growing wisteria seedlings, the sprouts should be protected from direct sunlight and the soil mixture should be constantly moistened. Top dressing is carried out 1 time per week with complex mineral compositions, dissolved in water.

Subsequent care of the wisteria plant includes providing favorable conditions for its growth. In order to get abundant flowering, a long daylight hours is needed, at least 12 hours the sun should shine. If this does not happen, the inflorescences become small and less expressive in color.

Light and well-structured soil with the obligatory laying of drainage for diversion excess moisture ensures fast and stable growth of wisteria vines.

During the period of bud formation, care for wisteria includes the application of mineral and organic top dressings 1 time in 3 days. This is important to ensure the rich color of the inflorescences.

For 1 vegetative season, 2 planned pruning is carried out in order to form a lush crown. The first pruning is required in the spring, when no more than 5 strong axillary buds are left on the shoots. The second pruning is carried out in the fall, before the vine leaves for the winter.

By the way, with a sufficient level of insulation and shelter, the plant may well overwinter in the open ground, if the ambient temperature in the growing area does not drop below minus 20 degrees Celsius. In all other cases, it is advisable to grow a crop in containers that are brought into a heated room for the winter.

Types and varieties of wisteria: "Chinese", "Blue moon" and "Macrostachia" (with photo)

Plant species known to date include more than 100 varieties. The most popular are wisteria "Chinese" and "Macrostachia".

All varieties of wisteria known to modern flower growers have lush bloom and a long period of ongoing budding. Due to the latter factor, flowering can continue almost continuously for 2-3 months.

Look at the photo of the wisteria variety - among them you can choose the right collection for your garden, balcony and patio decoration:

Chinese wisteria has Latin name Wisteria chinensis. This is the most common species, including subspecies with a variety of bud colors.

Often there are purple and lilac flowers, less often you can see blue shades and white halftones.

When correct organized care liana grows up to 20 meters. It has carpal inflorescences up to 40 cm. After their flowering, legume-shaped beans up to 12 cm long are formed. Seeds ripen in them.

No less interesting is the glycine "Floribunda", which is distinguished by the multi-flowered form of buds. Their length can reach half a meter, and the flowering period is 2 weeks longer. In addition, "Floribunda" perfectly tolerates short-term frosts down to minus 23 degrees Celsius.

Wisteria "Blue Moon" has beautiful blue and white inflorescences, which gradually change their color to a more saturated one. This plant is perfect for landscaping balconies and terraces.

Wisteria (Wisteria) in Greek, meaning "sweet" - a small genus of extremely decorative deciduous vines from the legume family, common in the eastern United States and East Asia. The genus was named after Caspar Wistar, professor of anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania. In total, there are 9 species of the wisteria genus, but only two are common in ornamental gardening - Chinese wisteria (W. sinensis) and lush (W. floribunda). The rest are interesting, rather, to taxonomists, because they obviously lose in terms of decorativeness to the previous two.

In general, wisteria Chinese and lush flowers are similar. However, they have a number of features that make them easy to distinguish from each other:

• Wisteria Chinese reaches a height of 20 m. Wisteria lush usually no more than 8 m
• Chinese wisteria has a complex unpaired-pinnate leaf up to 30 cm long, with 7-11 (rarely 13) leaflets, in lush-flowered - up to 40 cm, consisting of 11-19 leaflets (normally 15).
• The stems of Chinese wisteria wrap around the support counterclockwise, that is, they rise from right to left in the direction of the growth point. In the lush-colored, everything is exactly the opposite. Moreover, this trait is constant, therefore, even looking at young plants in a leafless state, one can determine with certainty which species this sample belongs to.
• The flowers of Chinese wisteria are collected in inflorescences up to 30 cm long. In lush wisteria, they are usually longer. Some cultivated garden forms they reach a metre. In one remarkable plant growing in the Tokyo region, the well-known researcher of the flora of East Asia, the English botanist A. Wilson, measured the inflorescence, which turned out to be over 5 feet long (this is about one and a half meters).
• wisteria chinese flowers in inflorescence bloom almost simultaneously. In lush flowers, they bloom from the base to the top.
• Wisteria Chinese blooms at the same time as the beginning of the appearance of leaves, as a rule, 2-3 weeks earlier than lush. Wisteria luxuriant blooms in an already leafy state. This property causes various uses types. Chinese wisteria, as a rule, is allowed along the wall, and to demonstrate the long brushes of lush wisteria, a roof in the form of a lattice is desirable.
• Chinese wisteria and lush-flowered withstand short frosts down to -20°C. But lush-flowered is considered a more winter-hardy species.
• In Chinese wisteria, secondary flowering is often observed in August-September, although much weaker. Lush flower blooms once.

Here, perhaps, are all the differences between these types of wisteria. It is also worth mentioning that Chinese wisteria comes from China, and lush-flowered from Japan.

It would seem that it is possible to put everything on the shelves and reliably distinguish between these two decorative species wisteria. However, not all so simple.

Exists Beautiful wisteria (Wisteria formoia) is a hybrid between wisteria sinensis and lush wisteria "Alba" (Alba), grown in the garden of Professor Sargent in Massachusetts in 1905. The plant combines the characteristics of both parents. The number of leaflets in a complex unpaired pinnate leaf ranges from 9 to 15; inflorescences about 25 cm long; the flowers open at the same time, like Chinese wisteria, and the shoots twist counterclockwise, like wisteria luxuriant. This hybrid is superior in beauty to both parents.

Wisteria is not at all rare in the extreme South of Russia. Its flowering occurs there in the month of May. Perhaps no flowering vine makes such an indelible impression as wisteria. Naturally, there is a completely understandable desire to try to grow something similar in their summer cottage or personal plot. Alas, most of these sites are located in climatic conditions unsuitable for the cultivation of wisteria in the conventional sense. But, for example, the vast majority of varietal climbing roses also not quite winter-hardy, and most of them are just sissies. However, this does not scare anyone. Moreover, the craze for climbing roses suggests that nothing is impossible for purposeful people. Including in promoting the culture of wisteria in more northern regions.

To preserve varietal characteristics, only vegetative propagation is acceptable. I have repeatedly tried to propagate wisteria with both green and winter cuttings. I did everything as written, but the result was 100% negative. I cannot say absolutely that wisteria is not cutting. But English wisteria breeding nurseries use only 2 methods: horizontal layering and winter grafting on pieces of wisteria roots. Both methods are more laborious than cuttings. And if it were possible to propagate wisteria by cuttings, it would certainly prevail over other methods. But this is not the case in gardening practice. Therefore, recommendations to cut wisteria are slyness. When purchasing wisteria planting material, the gardener must be sure that the seedling is grafted (or obtained by diversion). Only in this case does it make sense to mess with it. The gardener himself can get varietal material. The easiest way to do this is by winter grafting on the roots (only on the roots, since the wood of wisteria is loose and the grafting fails), or by horizontal layering (but for this you need to have somewhere nearby mother plant).

And here is the much desired wisteria in the hands of the gardener. What's next? The sequence of actions should be like this:

• It is necessary to form the skeleton of the plant. To do this, it is better to grow a young wisteria seedling in the first summer in a container, watering and feeding abundantly. It makes sense to leave 2-3 of the strongest shoots and give them the opportunity to grow as much as possible. Shoots must be tied up as they grow, otherwise they stop developing, and their ends dry out. At good care Wisteria, as a rule, in one season reaches those sizes within which it will be maintained by pruning in subsequent years. This is approximately 2-2.2 m. (A larger plant will already be difficult to cover well.) For the winter, the plant is transferred to a cold cellar for guaranteed overwintering.
• spring next year prepared plant is planted on permanent place. This place is chosen near some wall on the south, southeast or southwest side. The sum of positive temperatures must not be less than 3200°C. This is an average figure, for example, for Rostov-on-Don. This agricultural technique allows you to provide wisteria necessary quantity heat. If you plant it in an open place, then it most likely will not bloom even after a successful wintering.
• Shelter for wisteria should be about the same as for climbing roses. But in case of a snowless winter, you need to have additional covering material from pre-prepared dry leaves. Support for wisteria shoots must be strong and durable. It will withstand a fairly large load associated with the high windage of this creeper. Wisteria shoots should be tied annually to this support, preventing them from tangled around it, so that in the fall you can easily remove them, press them to the ground and cover them. As a rule, a significant part of the annual growth freezes even under cover. But that doesn't matter, as the wisteria needs to be pruned regularly.
• Proper pruning of wisteria is the key to abundant flowering. Flowers are formed on last year's and older wood or on short flower shoots of the current year. Therefore, in order to obtain flower buds, on the number of which the abundance of flowering depends, it is necessary to cut off last year's shoots annually at the end of May (their length should be no more than 30 cm). In August, the growth of the current year should also be shortened by 4-5 buds, and in early spring, after removing the shelter and tying the shoots to the support, last year's growth should be shortened by another 2-3 buds. In general, the trimming procedure is not difficult. But it must be carried out strictly, otherwise you will not achieve abundant flowering, for which wisteria is so valued.

Over the years of cultivation of wisteria, only a few markedly different forms have been identified. At wisteria chinensis only 3 forms are known for certain:

• "Alba" ("Alba") - white flowers in short racemes; introduced by R. Fortune from China in 1846;
• "Prolific" ("Prolific") - close to the usual form, but more abundant in flowering and with longer tassels; originated in Holland in Boskop;
• "Sierra Madre" ("Sierra Madre") - an early flowering form with lavender-purple flowers (origin unknown to me).

A few more interesting shapes wisteria luxuriant :

• "Alba" ("Alba") - flowers are white, sometimes with lilac shade, length of inflorescences 40 cm; there is also a white-flowered form with very long racemes, but not profusely flowering;

• "Celestina" ("Coelestina") - lavender-blue flowers, selected and named by Sprenger in 1911;

• "Multijuga" ("Multijuga") - synonyms "Macrobotris" ("Macrobotrys"), "Kyushaku" ("Kyushaku"), "Naga Nona" ("Naga Nona") - lilac-blue flowers with a yellow base near the sail, in hands 0.9-1.2 m long; introduced to England by Van Gutt in 1847; the name "Multijuga" was at one time used in a broad sense for all known forms of W. flobunda with long racemes;
• "Rosea" ("Rosea") - flowers with a white-pink sail and purple wings and a boat; brushes about 45 cm long; in culture since 1903;
• "Russeliana" ("Russeliana") - the flowers are darker than those of "Multijuga" ("Multijuga"), marked with cream spots; bred by L.R. Russell in 1904;
• "Royal Purle" - a synonym for "Black Dragon" ("Black Dragon") and "Kokuryu" - purple-violet flowers in racemes 30-50 cm long.

There is also a terry form of wisteria with purple-lilac flowers. This form has several synonyms: " Double Black Dragon" ("Double Black Dragon"), "Violacea Plena" (Violacea Plena), "Yae Kokuryu" ("Yae Kokyuryu" ). Some authors attribute it to Wisteria luxuriant. And this is not surprising, since her complex pinnate leaf has an average of 15-17 leaves, the inflorescence blooms from the base to the top and has a length of about 40 cm. Its shoots twist counterclockwise, like Chinese wisteria and it blooms with it at the same time. It is reliably known that it was introduced from Japan to the USA in the 1860s, and from there to the British Isles around 1870. A superbly developed specimen of this form is kept in the Sochi Arboretum.

It is the above forms of wisteria that may be on sale and in garden centers. Breeding of varietal wisteria is now actively carried out in Polish nurseries - the main suppliers of planting material. A good collection of interesting forms, represented by absolutely luxurious specimens, is available in the Sochi Arboretum.