NORTH TEXAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) - A flowering vine has many uses. Create an arbor or trellis and create a green tint. No more room in the bed? Climb a vine. Flowering vines are the gold standard. For this region, there are few species that can thrive in the heat and survive the winter.
Wisteria is a good option for our region. There are several varieties to choose from and you should know the differences.
Chinese wisteria is very aggressive and fast growing. This plant can grow for decades, forming dense vines that become very heavy over the years. If you plan to plant one of these wisteria, be sure to build the strongest trellis possible. Also note that once covered, this trellis or vine trellis cannot be stained, painted or repaired without trimming.
The beauty of Chinese wisteria is that the flowers bloom before the leaves. This show could be amazing. In the Ashikaga Flower Park in Japan, there is a 150-year-old wisteria that is hard to believe. Chinese wisteria needs a place where it can stand, with plenty of room to climb, as it is an invasive plant.
For something easy to control, I suggest an American wisteria. They are not that big or aggressive. They bloom after the leaves appear and continue to bloom until spring. The plant we wrote our story about at the Fort Worth Botanical Garden still had a few blooms in July. It needs a very stable structure to grow.
Evergreen wisteria is not a wisteria, but it looks and acts similarly. Beautiful brown flowers bloom from mid-summer through fall. Even better, it makes a lovely green hedge, keeping its leaves all winter.
Wisteria is just a little thirsty. They like full sun but grow (slowly) in part sun but don't flower as well. Use slow-release nitrogen fertilizers sparingly; You really need phosphorus, and most soils in our area already have enough of it.
Before planting Chinese wisteria, you must first test the soil at the planting site. They should not be planted where the soil lacks iron.
In the right place, a wisteria can grow for decades, even more than a hundred years. It really is a versatile plant.
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