It’s time for a garden confession: I’m guilty of planting an invasive species. Not just any invasive species mind you, one of the big ones. I bought Wisteria sinensis (Chinese wisteria) accidentally. It was on clearance years ago at a local garden shop and labeled as Wisteria floribunda “Rosea”, a slower-growing pink flowering wisteria. My thought process was “slower-growing” means easily managed or removed if needed. Wrong.
Every spring the vine launches into what I’ve dubbed “wisteria hysteria”. With a sort of Dr. Jekyll/ Mr. Hyde plant personality, the Wisteria first sends forth innocent looking leaf buds and wonderfully fragrant flower racemes of a lovely BLUE. Once blooming, however, the vine becomes an aggressive and rampant tangle of growth above and below the ground. Within weeks of flowering I need to prune back several feet of new growth and pull up roots that trail along the ground and circle the entire garden. I’ll repeat the process every few weeks to keep the vine from climbing nearby trees and stretching roots throughout the tri-county area. If left to wander it would easily smother everything under the weight of the heavy growth. *SIGH*
It’s too late for me, the sentence for my crime is hard labor. Save yourself from the heartache of a planting disaster and learn from my mistake:
- Research before buying. Know the list of invasive plants for your area including tree, vine, wetland and flower species and learn why they are invasive.
- Buy from reputable garden shops and ask questions. If the label is questionable or you’re unsure don’t buy it.
- Like any relationship, don’t expect plants to change their ways for you. Believe the descriptions and understand the terminology. For example, “rampant” = “grows at the speed of light”.
- Be responsible about removal. Yes, invasive plants need to be removed. It will likely take several seasons of removing roots determined to re-sprout and for us it may require building a new pergola. Invasive plants are costly in more ways than one.
Think this is bad? Wait until spring.
Oh my goodness. Your picture clearly backs up your warnings. Isn’t it sad that a vine with such beautiful flowers ruins it all by becoming invasive?
This picture was taken right before I lopped off the entire top half of the vine, early October. It will look a lot like he picture just a few short weeks into spring. Clearly these plants are invasive and removing it is going to be difficult. That’s a hard lesson learned.
Chinese Wisteria is certainly one of the big ones! My one neighbor has it in their yard and they LOVE it, so won’t do anything about it. Meanwhile, it’s popping up in other neighbors basements (old houses, dirt floor basements). With no light and no irrigation, this plant is thriving in these basements, wreaking havoc on their foundations, smothering their shrubs and trees, and causing great distress. I am so glad I live on the other side of the street!
It’s unfortunate that it is a popular plant among gardeners. I also have a neighbor that grew it. She planted the vine on the corner of her house thinking the lovely flowers would “trail along the roofline”. It never flowered, it went under the siding and pulled it off and ruined the roof where it grew so thickly the dampness rotted the wood underneath. Not at all what she had envisioned, but not at all uncharacteristic of Chinese Wisteria.
That is so sad. Wisteria is not hardy where I live and I always longed to be able to have a plant for its reputed scent. But now, after reading you post, I know better. Mislabeled plants, for sale in nurseries and other places is very common, unfortunately.