Chinese Wisteria

Chinese Wisteria

Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) is a vine from China and was introduced to the U.S. for ornamental purposes due to its prolific flower production. It is fast growing and can grow up to ten feet in a year. Chinese wisteria produces strings of purple pea-like flowers that develop into seed pods. It has compound leaves with smooth edges and climbs by wrapping counterclockwise around trees, shrubs, and manmade objects. With time, a Chinese wisteria can girdle a treat by cutting through the bark, stopping nutrients from flowing through the tree, and eventually topple it over. It can alter ecosystems of forests by killing trees or their limbs and creates more sunlight on the forest floor (allowing new, and possibly unwanted plant growth). In contrast, they can also form dense thickets and shade out native plants. 

Keys To Success

The management of Chinese wisteria is dependent on the size and location of the plant. If it’s a smaller vine, hand pulling or doing a spot treatment with herbicide may be appropriate. If the vine is climbing a structure such as a gutter or tree, then cutting and painting is most effective; this helps prevent herbicide from getting on a home or desirable tree. If the vine has formed a thicket then it may be appropriate to do a blanket application of herbicide.