Wisteria frutescens 'Longwood Purple'

ID6186

Wisteria frutescens 'Longwood Purple' is quite different from its Asian relatives in many aspects. It grows smaller and more compact, producing shorter flower racemes. Longwood Purple is a variety of an American wisteria. The lovely flowers are rich violet purple, borne in short racemes about 10 cm long. Their fragrance is faint. They come out in profusion from late May and after the main flush has finished a short break comes after which the plant produces flowers again, not plenty, but one by one usually until late summer. We've seen it repeat bloom right through September! Green bean-like fruits follow the flowers.

Key Features

Plant Type: deciduous climber

Plant Height & Spread: 300cm-400cm

Foliage Colour: Light Green

Foliage Type: deciduous climber

Seasons of Interest: April - June

Soil Condition: Well-drained, Neutral

Planting Position: Full Sun or Half Shade

Plant Care & Advice

Wisteria is a vining plant with cascades of blue to purple flowers that look spectacular hanging from a pergola or archway in spring and early summer. However, this vine is a fast and aggressive grower—often reaching 25 to 30 feet long—and is known to grow quite heavy. Wisteria vines will work their way into any crook or cranny they can reach. Wisteria flowers are beautifully fragrant, providing a feast for the senses. After flowering, a brown, bean-like pod stays on the plant until winter. Pruning is the secret to good flowering, as wisteria only blooms on new wood. Prune wisteria in late winter. Remove at least half of the prior year’s growth, leaving just a few buds per stem. If you want a more formal appearance, prune again during summer, after traditional flowering. For more blooms, try cutting back the rampant shoots every two weeks during the summer. Do you have a new wisteria? Cut the vine back severely right after planting. Then, the next year, cut the main stem or stems back to 3 feet of the previous season’s growth. Once the framework is full size, shorten further extension growth in midsummer to where growth began for that season.