Wisteria in bloom is one of the most whimsical and breathtaking sights you can see in a garden. All the work and maintenance that we put into growing these massive vines is so that we can enjoy the short period of sweet-smelling joy that their dangling flowers bring. But waiting for blooms can be one of the most frustrating parts of growing a Wisteria, leaving us feeling confused when the blooming season doesn’t go as expected.
Wisteria blooms in the early to mid-spring, but there are some situations where the vine may not flower for a season. These vines can be unpredictable in what they’ll produce each year, but when they’re in full bloom, it’s well worth the wait. Luckily, there are some ways you can help.
Throughout the rest of this article, I’ll answer all your questions about Wisteria buds, blooms, and flowers. I’ll explain when and what you can expect from your blooms and what you can do to help your Wisteria bloom each season. After reading, you’ll have all the information you need to maintain your Wisteria plant for many years to come.
Wisteria in Bloom – What to Expect
I remember when I planted my first Wisteria vine. I did some research beforehand, so I knew that Wisterias are vigorous growers that need strong support and lots of attention and pruning to keep them under control. I imagined that after a few short months, my tiny vine would grow into a large, thick trunk with sprawling tendrils. I envisioned the following spring when my massive vine would be exploding with purple blooms, dazzling my garden like a spray of shooting stars. Needless to say, that’s not what happened.
A Wisteria plant is more of a long-term investment. Think of it as a marathon rather than a sprint. While they are known for their fast and aggressive growing tendencies, they’re much more reserved when it comes to flowering. Not only can they take a while to start blooming, they can also stop blooming under certain conditions.
When Will My Wisteria Bloom?
Wisteria typically takes several years before they begin blooming. Depending on how it was propagated, your Wisteria may bloom in three to five years, but in some cases, it may take up to seven years. And, if you planted it from a seed, it could take 15-25 years to bloom, if it blooms at all.
Once your Wisteria matures, it will usually bloom in mid-to-late spring, depending on where you live and which variety you have. It could be early May to early June, or earlier if you live in a warmer area. For example, where I live in northern Florida, Chinese Wisteria usually starts blooming in March or early April. Japanese and American Wisteria start blooming a little later, usually from April to June.
The blooming period typically lasts 2-3 months, with some seasons producing more flowers than others. When your Wisteria is just starting to bloom, you shouldn’t expect an abundance of flowers. Just as it was slow to start blooming, it’s slow to dazzle you with the explosion of flowers that you see in pictures online.
If you can be patient (I mean really patient), you won’t be disappointed when your Wisteria plant finally begins to produce its full amount of blooms. To read our tips on encouraging your Wisteria to bloom, click here.
How Long Do Wisteria Blooms Last?
Wisteria blooms typically last several weeks, depending on the variety. For example, Japanese Wisteria blooms usually last the longest because they open slower and bloom longer than other varieties.
Usually, Wisterias bloom over a four to five-week period, with different varieties starting at different times, meaning that they will last until the early summer, with the Kentucky Wisteria variety providing blooms after the others have already finished. Overall, most Wisteria plants will take five to eight weeks to go through all of their blooms.
Will Wisteria Bloom Twice in One Year?
Typically, your Wisteria plant will only bloom once each spring and into early summer. However, some people have had luck getting a second bloom in the late summer months or early fall. Of course, you won’t get the same number of flowers as the initial bloom, but you may be able to extend your bloom season a little bit and enjoy the show a little longer.
If you want to achieve a second bloom, you should deadhead spent blooms as soon as they start to wilt or droop. While this isn’t a guarantee for a second round of flowers, you may at least get a few replacements, which would be worth it. To learn more about when and how to deadhead your Wisteria, check out this article which will tell you everything you need to know.
The growing conditions and environment also play a large role in whether your Wisteria is likely to produce additional blooms, so your best bet is to try to keep your plant as healthy as possible and in optimal conditions.
Does Wisteria Bloom Every Year?
One of the most frustrating aspects of owning Wisteria is the fact that, despite your best efforts, your Wisteria may not bloom every season. Even though these vines are low maintenance and are known for their ability to grow nearly anywhere, it’s a different story when it comes to getting them to produce their showstopping blooms.
Wisteria likes for the conditions to be just right if it’s going to grace you with its flowers. There are several reasons why your Wisteria may not bloom this year, even if it has bloomed every year in the past.
Reasons Your Wisteria May Not Bloom:
- Too much nitrogen: If there is too much nitrogen in the soil, it will encourage foliage and leaf development but may hinder flowering. Having your soil tested for nutrients can help you determine if too much nitrogen is preventing your Wisteria from blooming. (For more details about what kind of soil conditions are best for your Wisteria, we have an entire article dedicated to the topic that you can check out here).
- Not enough sun: Wisteria needs close to full sun to thrive. If your vine is growing in an area that’s too shady, it may not be getting enough sunlight to flower. If this is the problem, check for surrounding plants and structures that may be blocking the sun. As a last resort, you may need to consider relocating the Wisteria plant to encourage flowering. If this is the case, you can follow these step-by-step instructions for relocating a mature Wisteria plant.
- Water stress: Your Wisteria plant is a picky drinker. It needs enough water to support its massive growth, but it also requires adequate drainage so it doesn’t get waterlogged. Wisteria doesn’t like to have wet feet, so if you plant it in an area where the soil isn’t drying out between waterings, excessive moisture can prevent blooms.
- Late spring frost: Wisteria blooms on old wood, so it starts developing its flowers well before springtime. If your vine comes out of dormancy and prepares to bloom, only to be surprised by a late spring frost, you may find that you end up with a stunted flowering season. The best way to prevent this is to protect your Wisteria from a late frost as best as you can. You can read more about protecting your Wisteria from cold and frost by checking out this article, where we discuss those topics in detail.
When Does Wisteria Start to Bud?
Wisteria primarily blooms on old wood, which means next year’s blooms are set after the current blooming season concludes. This is essential information when it comes to when and how you should prune your Wisteria plant because if you prune at the wrong time, you could accidentally cut away some of your future blooms.
Because Wisteria starts to bud in the later summer months, you should ideally begin trimming your plant right after the blooms begin to fade away. Deadheading old blooms will help the plant focus its energy in the right places, whether it’s producing another few flowers this season or working on setting new buds for next year.
It is best to prune your Wisteria twice each year to encourage blooming and lessen the growth of unwanted and unnecessary foliage. Removing some of the leaves and stems during the summer will allow more sunlight and air to reach your plant, which will improve bud development.
Cutting back excess foliage also allows the plant to dedicate more resources to developing new buds and flowers than supporting additional vegetation.
To learn everything you need to know about when, where, and how to prune your Wisteria and encourage the best conditions for flowering, check out this article.
What Color are Wisteria Blooms?
Wisteria is known for its vibrant hanging flowers in shades of lilac and purple. However, these beauties can actually produce a much wider range of colors than many people realize. Wisteria flowers can be white, blue, pink, mauve, lavender-blue, or even a rich, deep pink.
While there is no yellow Wisteria, some varieties have yellow details, making them even more stunning. If you’ve seen a flower that looked like a yellow Wisteria, it was likely a Golden Chain Tree, which produces rich yellow blooms that look very similar to Wisteria blooms.
Wisteria plants will typically produce blooms that are all the same color, but occasionally you may start getting blooms that are a different color. Your plant doesn’t change colors the way that a Hydrangea does with soil conditions, but it is possible that a shoot from the original rootstock can grow into the vine and produce blooms that are a different color. This will only happen if the plant was propagated through grafting.
If you’re hoping for a specific color or shade for your garden, you can select the Wisteria variety that’s right for you. Many different variations offer both light and soft colors or deep, bold shades.
Wisteria Variety | Color(s) |
Japanese Wisteria ‘Burford’ | Soft, lilac-blue and rich purple with a yellow spot |
Silky Wisteria ‘Showa-Beni’ | Soft pink and white with a yellow spot |
White Japanese Wisteria ‘Alba’ | White |
Japanese Wisteria ‘Kuchi Beni’ | Pale mauve-pink, with purple tips |
Japanese Wisteria ‘Lawrence’ | Soft blue-violet with deep purple wings, greenish-yellow spot |
Japanese Wisteria ‘Macrobotrys’ | Soft lilac with dark violet details |
Pink Japanese Wisteria ‘Rosea’ | Pale, soft pink (rose) with purple tips |
Japanese Wisteria ‘Royal Purple’ | Bright, violet blooms |
Japanese Wisteria ‘Violacea Plena’ | Violet-blue double flowers |
How to Keep Your Wisteria Blooming
Once you’ve experienced a full, healthy blooming season, you will want to keep your Wisteria blooming for as long as possible, year after year. The best way to encourage blooms is to keep your Wisteria plant healthy and provide optimal growing conditions along with strategic pruning.
Wisteria needs full sunlight for at least six hours each day to have the best chances of a complete, strong blooming season. Water your plant regularly if you’re not getting any rain and if the soil begins to feel dry to the touch. Take care not to overwater your plant, especially if the soil doesn’t drain very well.
Usually, you won’t need to fertilize your Wisteria plant but only use a low-nitrogen fertilizer if you decide to do so. If the nitrogen in the soil is too high, it will encourage the vine to grow additional foliage and may prevent blooming. (Read more about fertilizing Wisteria here.)
Regular pruning at the right time will encourage your Wisteria vine to develop buds for the next season and it will help control the amount of excess foliage so the plant can devote resources to flower production.
Prune your Wisteria in the summer after the flowering season has finished to encourage bud growth. In the winter, you can cut back some of the branches while the plant is dormant, taking care not to cut away your buds for the next season. This will help ensure that the flowers won’t be overtaken by foliage as the greenery comes back in the spring. Find more information on pruning Wisteria here.
Putting it All Together
A Wisteria in bloom brings joy and a sense of accomplishment to growers, while a bare vine brings frustration. Unfortunately, these two feelings go hand-in-hand when it comes to growing Wisteria. It can be confusing (and downright infuriating) to try and understand how a plant that grows so vigorously can also be so reluctant to bloom!
However, this love-hate relationship with your Wisteria is entirely normal and natural, and it’s part of what makes these vines so fun to grow. It certainly takes a lot of patience and understanding, but the frustrations will be well worth it when your Wisteria plant produces a dazzling display of blooms.
The best thing to do is take care to keep your Wisteria healthy by providing plenty of sunlight, the right amount of water, and only fertilizing if absolutely necessary. Invest in a good pair of pruning shears, follow the pruning schedule, and try to protect your plant from late spring frosts so you can give it the best chance of fully blooming this spring and next.