Wisteria is a big risk, big reward kind of plant. If you have the time, energy, and space to maintain these vigorous growers properly, you’ll enjoy the romantic blooms and unique twisted vines for years to come. Still, some naive growers eventually find themselves trapped in a horror story of unchecked Wisteria gone wild.
Wisteria has the potential to cause damage to anything it comes into contact with, but that doesn’t always mean that it will tear your house down. These huge and heavy mature vines live for many, many years. So, they need a strong support system and lots of maintenance to keep them in check.
This article will discuss the kinds of damage Wisteria can do and share some do’s and don’ts for planting. We’ll also answer your questions about how Wisteria may interact with your lawn or garden and give you some tips for keeping it under control.
Will Wisteria Damage Your Home and Yard?
When you decide to plant a Wisteria vine, there are two things you need to think about carefully. First off, consider the plant’s location, and second is whether you’re willing and able to keep up with the necessary maintenance. Wisteria is a very strong, vigorously growing vine. It’s pretty hard to kill, and it will grow without much effort on your part. So, to keep this aggressive vine in check, you’ll need to be very intentional with your pruning and maintenance.
Wisteria can certainly cause damage to your home and yard if it’s planted in a poor location or left to grow without pruning and trimming. It can climb underneath siding, onto roofs and gutters, and cause damage to weak fences. It’s also known to choke out other plants.
However, that doesn’t mean that you’re doomed with having one of these beauties in your yard. As with so many other plants, proper care and maintenance are key! Keeping your Wisteria contained and training it to grow where you want is fairly simple as long as you keep up with it each year.
It’s also important to remember that not all Wisterias are created equal. There are three main types, and they have different behaviors and slightly different characteristics.
Chinese and Japanese Wisteria are what you typically find for sale online and in some nurseries. They’re the most aggressive growers, but they also have the most delicate, longest, and most fragrant racemes (blooms). These Asian varieties can grow 60 to 100 feet in length (or more), so they are truly massive at maturity. And, you should also consider that they can live for decades – fifty years or more!
There’s also a native variety – American Wisteria – that’s much less aggressive and easier to control. If you haven’t already planted a Wisteria and are considering it, I’d recommend going with a native variety. Another native option, Kentucky Wisteria, displays more bluish than purple racemes, and it’s equally as lovely. (Read more about Wisteria varieties here.)
The different varieties are important to know about because the most aggressive varieties are the ones that are most likely to cause damage to your home or yard. Left uncontrolled, Chinese Wisteria grows so rapidly that it can overtake other plants, kill trees, and damage local ecosystems. It will grow in virtually any conditions, meaning that it can climb and crawl into shaded areas and underneath existing brush, causing damage along the way.
Is it Safe to Plant Wisteria?
Wisteria is perfectly safe to plant in your yard despite its bullying reputation. However, it comes with the disclaimer that Wisteria requires ongoing pruning to keep it under control. This is not a “one and done” vine. It will require your constant care and attention year after year to ensure your Wisteria does not climb into places it shouldn’t be. Don’t plant it next to anything you don’t want it to climb, unless you’re prepared to prune and train the vine once or twice each year.
It’s generally not a good idea to plant non-native invasive species of any plant, Wisteria included. Chinese and Japanese Wisterias are both invasive in parts of the U.S., and they can cause big problems for the environment if they get out of control. Still, many people have these giant, beautiful vines growing on their property without it becoming disastrous.
Understanding how Wisteria grows and climbs is important for ensuring that it doesn’t make its way into areas where you don’t want it. Wisteria is a climber that uses tendrils to twist its way up anything it can grab ahold of. Unlike ivy and other vines that use suckers to adhere to surfaces, Wisteria needs to reach around something to creep upward. That’s why your Wisteria needs a good, sturdy support system for climbing.
So, if you plant Wisteria next to a fence or wall, it will eventually cover the area. However, if the fence isn’t strong enough to support the mature vine’s massive size and weight, it could easily tear it down. That’s part of the reason that Wisteria gets such a bad reputation.
To learn more about what Wisteria will climb and how to train it to climb where you want (and keep it out of areas you don’t), check out this article.
Does Wisteria Have a Big Root System?
Wisteria grows into a massive mature vine, potentially reaching lengths of 100 feet or more. The thick stems grow and expand into enormous twisting trunks powerful enough to tear down fences and arbors. So, it should be no surprise that mature Wisteria also has large, aggressive root systems.
Since Wisteria vines become so large and heavy, they need massive roots to anchor the plant. As such, the root systems grow deep into the ground. Wisteria roots typically grow two to three feet deep, but maybe up to ten feet deep in mature vines that have been in place for many, many years. Wisteria roots can become a problem if you plant the vine too close to existing structures or underground piping. However, in most cases, the roots will move around obstructions or grow in another direction if they run into something under the soil.
Most growers who run into problems with their Wisteria find that the issue is above ground rather than below. Wisteria roots are most likely to grow straight down rather than spread out very wide. This is because the plant climbs upward, so the growing energy is mainly directed to the tendrils and foliage. However, Wisteria can grow suckers from the root system, which should be removed as soon as you spot them to keep the vine contained.
Potential Damage from Wisteria Roots
Wisteria roots can cause damage in some cases if you plant the vine in the wrong location. While Wisteria doesn’t typically cause the kinds of problems that large tree roots can create, it’s still a woody vine that can potentially creep into undesirable areas.
If you plant your Wisteria right over your septic tank, irrigation system piping, or other underground pipes, drains, or structures, there’s always the possibility that the root system could cause damage. However, Wisteria roots aren’t as dangerous as some other plants that actively sprout outwards from the root systems.
Bigger issues like subsidence or damage to your foundation are possible but unlikely. Unless you live in a very old house with weak structural foundations, Wisteria roots will probably not do any major damage to your foundation or walls.
The only exception could be if you have clay soil. There have been some reports of mature Wisteria roots depleting the soil of moisture, causing it to dry out and crack or otherwise weakening the clay in small patches underneath the foundation. This could cause some localized settling, but it’s always good to seek professional advice if you suspect damage to your foundation.
There are plenty of examples of large Wisteria vines growing just fine along the walls of brick buildings worldwide. In those cases, the roots aren’t lifting the building off the foundation or causing it to collapse and crumble. It’s really just another example of Wisteria’s aggressive reputation. When it comes to Wisteria, you should focus your attention on controlling the growth above the ground more than worrying about the roots underneath the soil.
Can I Grow Wisteria On My Home?
If you’ve spent any time on the internet looking up information about Wisteria, you’ve seen countless images of lush foliage and whimsical blooms cascading across brick buildings. You might even be daydreaming about how those vines would look creeping around your own home’s windows and door frames. Who doesn’t want to live in those fairytale pictures?
But, whether or not you can (or should) grow Wisteria on your home is a tricky topic. In most cases, you can grow the vine on the outside of your house, but you’ll have to take the right steps to prepare the area and be extra vigilant about keeping the vine from creeping into unwanted spaces. As stated before, Wisteria can and will creep into any place its tendrils can reach.
We recommend planting Wisteria on another sturdy structure away from your home. Growing any plant too close to your house creates the potential for all kinds of problems, including pests, moisture damage, and structural damage from the plant itself. However, Wisteria is a little different because of the way it grows.
If you have your heart set on training your Wisteria to grow on your house, you should only do so if your home is built from bricks or concrete blocks. Wood is especially susceptible to damage, and it’s harder to keep the vine from creeping into small spaces. You’ll also still want to be mindful of the roof, shutters, and gutter system.
For our advice on the safest way to grow Wisteria up an exterior wall, read: What Will a Wisteria Climb? How To Train It to Climb Walls and More.
Potential Damage to Structures from Wisteria Vines
Most of the horror stories that you hear about Wisteria are related to structural damage. Wisteria can tear down a fence or wall, cause a pergola or arbor to collapse, and cause severe damage to your home. That’s why we don’t recommend planting it right next to your house, shed, garage, neighbor’s house, or anything else that you don’t want it climbing onto. However, all those issues can be prevented by planning ahead and regular maintenance.
Wisteria can creep into any small crack or crevice it finds, meaning it can poke underneath siding or roof tiles. As it matures and grows, it will crack or damage the structure. Not to mention that it can create a breach for water and moisture to get into walls or underneath shingles.
Wisteria has been known to grow into cracks and openings around doors and windows, buckling the frames or breaking glass. It can get behind shutters and pop them off or cause other damage. Vines can climb into gutters or wrap around downspouts. There are countless ways that this aggressive vine can poke and prod its way into your home’s exterior.
Another concern is the mature vine’s sheer size and weight. A mature Wisteria is big and heavy, so it requires a very strong support system to keep it upright. What often happens is someone buys a small vine and plants it next to a fence, standard-sized arbor, or pergola. The vine happily climbs and grows for several years, getting bigger and bigger, but eventually, it becomes hard to see the structure anymore because the vine has completely overtaken it. Once the Wisteria gets big and heavy enough, owners will find that the entire structure has collapsed under the vine’s massive weight.
So, if you want to plant your Wisteria next to something to climb on, it’s essential to consider how big and heavy the mature plant will be. To learn how to grow Wisteria on a pergola and what kind of structure you’ll need to support the vine, check out this article.
The same rules apply if you want to grow your Wisteria near a fence or wall. You’ll need to ensure the structure is strong enough to support the vine’s weight. That usually means you’ll need to use metal posts and anchor them deep into the ground. If you grow Wisteria next to a brick wall, you can use metal wires anchored into the wall to give the vine something to climb on.
The same goes for wooden posts. Be sure to use metal wire systems anchored into the wood to give the Wisteria’s tendrils something to twist around as it climbs. Otherwise, the structure will collapse under the mature vine’s weight.
Does Wisteria Harm Other Plants?
Wisteria can harm other plants and trees if allowed to invade the surrounding ecosystem without any maintenance. The vine grows aggressively and will overtake nearby plants for sunlight, water, and other resources.
While it may be tempting to allow Wisteria to climb up a large tree’s trunk, it’s not a good idea. It might be a lovely sight at first, but don’t be fooled by the delicate look of the vine crawling up a tree trunk. Wisteria can kill trees and plants if left unchecked.
Despite its smothering abilities, Wisteria will not typically strangle itself. It has many stems and tendrils growing upward, so it wouldn’t naturally smother its own stems unless you trained it to grow back around itself. However, it can become damaged by support structures if it’s tied too tightly or if it outgrows the space. When training a young Wisteria, it’s important to check ties and adjust them as the plant grows and the stems get thicker.
Potential Damage to Trees and Plants from Wisteria Vines
Wisteria can pose a serious threat to nearby trees and plants, especially if it’s introduced into an ecosystem and left to grow rampant for long periods. It’s never a good idea to let Wisteria grow onto a tree. Even if it’s a huge tree, Wisteria can still cause damage.
Because Wisteria is a twining vine, it won’t just climb straight up the side of the tree. Over time, it will wrap around the trunk until it reaches the top. It will also spread out and twist around limbs and branches, strangling and suffocating the growth. Another problem is the vine’s weight. Depending on how big the tree is, the heavyweight of a large Wisteria vine could weaken the tree’s limbs and make it more susceptible to damage.
Wisteria will continue to grow for decades. They live for fifty years or more, which means surrounding plant life will be under siege for a very long time if the Wisteria vine is never cut back or pruned. These vines will compete for water, sunlight, space, nutrients, and any other resources it needs. And Wisteria will usually win.
Tendrils are constantly looking for something to climb on. So, if it finds a limb or branch on a nearby tree or shrub, it will continue to twist and climb until it reaches the top. Then, it will continue to reach up and outward until it finds something else to grab onto.
In that way, the Wisteria will overtake anything around it. That’s why it’s important to keep your Wisteria’s vine maintained and ensure it doesn’t make its way onto your neighbor’s property. That’s also why we recommend going with native, non-invasive species that are less aggressive and pose less of a risk to the environment like American or Kentucky Wisteria.
How to Manage an Out of Control Wisteria
Most people dealing with an out-of-control Wisteria either planted it many years ago and left it unattended, or they inherited an already out of control Wisteria when they moved into a new home. In either case, it’s possible to prune your vine back into submission. But it’s no easy task.
If you live in the southern United States, you’re in for even more of a battle. These vines thrive in the warm sunshine, so they grow even faster and recover from aggressive pruning quickly. Still, you can groom the monstrous vine back into a graceful princess with the right approach.
If you have a Wisteria that’s already running wild, you will have to take a radical approach and give the vine a hard prune. Depending on how big it is, you may need to use a ladder to reach the top of the growth. In some cases, you may even need to call in a professional landscaper to help with the process.
It’s best to do a hard prune during the winter months when the plant is dormant, and there are no leaves. You’ll be able to best see the vine’s shape and identify which ones to remove. Depending on how big the plant is, you may want to spread out the hard prune over a couple of seasons, so you don’t stress the plant too much.
Start by cutting from the top, and trimming the vine down to a manageable height. You should be able to do this with a pair of hand pruners or loppers, but you may need to use a garden saw if the vine is too thick.
If the Wisteria is climbing onto areas where you don’t want it, like the side of a tree, on a weak fence or pergola, or up the side of your house, pull it down and cut those branches all the way down to the base. Trim back the excessively long shoots and prune away any dead branches. Check around the Wisteria’s base and cut any suckers down to the ground. For more information about pruning and maintaining a Wisteria, you can read How, When, Where, and Why to Prune Wisteria.
If you want to train the vine to grow into a tree shape (also known as a standard), that’s another option to help control it from growing too wild. It’s easier to train a Wisteria when it’s young, so it depends on how big the vine is and how established it is. Growing Wisteria into a tree shape is a popular way to keep it under control, so we’ve dedicated a whole article to it that you can read here.
How to Rid Your Yard of an Established Wisteria Plant
In some cases, you may decide that it’s best to remove your Wisteria plant altogether. While these vines are beauties, they can also just be too much to handle for some gardeners. Luckily, there are several methods you can use to rid your yard of unwanted Wisteria, but some of them are easier than others.
If you truly want to rid your yard of all things Wisteria, you’ll need to kill or remove all the branches, foliage, seeds, and the vine’s root system. Just know that Wisteria is a vigorous grower that doesn’t give up without a fight. So, you’ll have to be thorough and persistent to win this battle.
If you’re dealing with just one plant and it’s not too massive, you could opt to dig it up. While this method is labor-intensive, it’s also quick and doesn’t require applying poisons or chemicals. If the Wisteria is growing near other plants that you want to keep, this might be the best method for you.
Before digging up the roots, you should cut the stems down so that only a small stump or trunk remains. You don’t want to cut it all the way down to the ground because you need to have something to grab onto and use for leverage.
After you cut it down, use a pointed shovel or spade to dig into the ground around the vine, going about two feet out from the trunk and digging down to the roots. You may need to chop through some of the roots to loosen up the root ball. Once you dig a circle around the trunk, you may be able to insert the shovel at an angle and get underneath the root ball. Work your way around the trunk, inserting the shovel and making a prying motion underneath the root ball.
Eventually, you should get it loose enough to pull the root ball up from the ground. Continue to dig around and remove any more roots you can find, so they don’t start creating new shoots. After the main plant is removed, you’ll have to watch for new growth and work to kill or remove it quickly. You may have to do this for several seasons to completely eradicate the Wisteria.
An easier method is to cut the Wisteria down to just a stump and then apply herbicide to the cut area to kill the rest of the plant and roots. This is the method preferred by most people because it’s so much easier than manually removing the plant. However, it’s not always an option if you don’t want to harm any nearby plants or don’t like using chemicals in your lawn or garden.
To learn more about these methods and a few other options for removing established Wisteria from your yard, read Ridding Your Yard of Wisteria: Five Methods for Getting Rid of Wisteria.
Putting It All Together
Wisteria is one of those plants that, when you see it fully grown and in bloom, it’s hard not to want one of your own. Some people may shy away from growing Wisteria because of its reputation. Still, if you take the time to plant it in the right place, give it the appropriate type of support, and commit to pruning and maintenance, you can enjoy these vines for many years.
Wisteria can potentially cause a lot of damage to buildings, walls, plants, and other nearby things. But, there are plenty of other trees and plants that are equally as capable of creating havoc for growers who don’t care for them properly.
So, before you shy away in fear of what Wisteria might do, take the time to consider what you can do to maintain this lovely vine and enjoy its beautiful fragrant displays each spring or summer.
To continue reading about Wisteria, check out these articles:
- What Will a Wisteria Climb? How To Train It to Climb Walls and More
- How, When, Where, and Why to Prune Wisteria
- Does Wisteria Always Take Over? Tips and Tricks to Keep it Under Control
- Ridding Your Yard of Wisteria: Five Methods for Getting Rid of Wisteria
- Wisteria and Pergolas: What to Know to Cover Your Pergola In Flowers