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Climber Wall Shrub

Wisteria sinensis var. sinensis f. alba 'The Bride'

Chinese wisteria 'The Bride'

A vigorous, deciduous, twining climber about 9m in height or more with dark green leaves divided into 9-13 leaflets, coppery-bronze when young. Scented, pea-like, pure white flowers with small yellowish-green eyes on the standard petals, are produced in dense trusses about 30cm long, in mid spring, and may be followed by bean-like, velvety pale brown-grey seed pods 15cm long

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Ultimate height

8–12 metres

Time to ultimate height

10–20 years

Ultimate spread

4–8 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Fabaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Climbing
Potentially harmful: Harmful if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets: Harmful if eaten - for further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus: Wisteria are vigorous woody climbers with twining stems bearing pinnate leaves and long pendulous racemes of fragrant pea-like flowers in spring and early summer
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

A large, long-lived climber so choosing the right site is important. Can be grown informally through large tree or trained against a house wall. Will grow in most soils that are moist but well-drained in sun or part shade. See wisteria cultivation for more advice

Propagation

Propagate by layering in spring, softwood cuttings from late spring to early summer, hardwood cuttings in winter, root cuttings in late winter or grafting in late winter

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Climber and wall shrubs
Wall side borders

Pruning

Prune twice a year for best results, see pruning wisteria for detailed advice

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, glasshouse red spider mite, and scale insects including wisteria scale

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely), phytophthora root rot, coral spot, fungal leaf spot, virus diseases, and powdery mildews

Get involved

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