Wisteria floribunda

We call this 'Roseland House form' because the plant was seed grown yet flowered early and profusely; otherwise it is typical Wisteria floribunda. The books will tell you the main difference between this and W. sinensis is the clockwise twisting stems (anticlockwise in sinensis) but I think its flower panicles which are twice as long (up to 30") and appear on the bare stems in spring and its vigour (less than half the eventual size of sinensis) more of a distinction. The flowers are mauve blue and white and heavily scented (Lily of the Valley). As the buds are easily damaged by spring frost give it a south or west wall. In the wild Wisterias start flowering when they reach the tops of trees. They know when they have done this by two things
1: the light levels rise (make sure you choose a sunny place)
2: the stems bend over (there is nothing more for them to climb) this causes a restriction to the sap and the plant starts making flowering spurs, this can be faked by pruning long unwanted shoots back to about three buds in AUGUST . In later years the size of the plant may be controlled in winter, but like fruit trees it is the summer pruning that induces flower buds.
Introduced by Philipp von Siebold in 1830 from Japan.

Our plant below forms curtains of scented flowers across doorways and windows in May see this forum link for more pictures http://www.pushingtheborders.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=694

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