Wisteria frutescens ‘Longwood Purple’
american wisteria 'Longwood Purple'
| Decoration form | flowers |
|---|---|
| Color of flowers | light violet |
| Plants height | 5 m |
| Flowering month | V, VI |
| Annual growth | 1-3 m |
| Aspect | sun, 3/4 sun |
| Frost hardiness | Zones 5 - 9 |
An American, frost hardy cultivar, with flowers borne later than Asian wisterias. Spectacular flowers open twice a year – in spring and in summer. It is undemanding and easy to maintain.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE: Flowers ligh-violet with yellow center, fragrant, gathered in bulging, conical inflorescences, 10–20 cm long. Bloom most abundantly from May till June, then again in summer. First flowers open in the 2nd-3rd year after planting. Leaves pinnately compound of 9-15 leaflets bright green in summer and yellow in autumn.
HOW IT GROWS: A primitive vine, twining around supports. Strong-growing, reaches 5–10 m height (1–3 m annual growth rate).
WHERE TO PLANT: Bloom most generously in sunny sites. Tolerates average, moderately moist, well-drained soil of slightly acidic pH. Requires solid supports. Frost hardy (zone 5–9).
HOW TO PLANT AND MAINTAIN: Before planting immerse the plant container in water for 10-30 min. Place the root ball in a 40 x 40 x 40 cm hole with a 10 cm layer of well-rotten manure or compost, 5 cm deeper than it was before. Cover the ground around the new plants with bark mulch, fertilize from April, water generously in vegetative season. Horizontally trained shoots and hard pruning are beneficial for bloom development. In early spring cut back above the 2nd- 3rd bud. Light pruning and cutting back side shoots after blooming stimulate bud-setting and bloom development in following seasons.
HOW TO APPLY: The vine is particularly suitable for growing over arbours, pergolas and constructions leaning against a wall. Not as strong-growing as Asian wisterias, therefore is more suited to small gardens. It may be trained in a tree shape. A highly frost hardy cultivar, it will grow in any part of Poland.
ORIGIN: United States of America.