White Chinese Wisteria

White Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis 'Alba') drapes a pergola in long, perfumed white flower racemes each spring, most of them opening on bare wood before the leaves unfurl. It is a powerful deciduous climber that will cover 8m of structure, its best feature or its worst depending on management. Give it a strong frame and two prunes a year and it repays you for decades.

Why you'll love it

• The spring display. Fragrant white racemes hang from every spur in early spring, before the foliage, so nothing hides them.
• Summer shade, winter sun. Being deciduous, it roofs a pergola in soft green through the hot months, then drops its leaves to let winter light through.
• Fast cover. A young plant runs several metres a season once established.
• Tough constitution. Frost hardy, wind tolerant and drought tolerant once established. Cold winters improve the flowering rather than harming it.
• Perfume that carries. On a still spring day the scent drifts well beyond the pergola.

Where it works best

Pergolas and verandas. The classic use: a roof of flower over outdoor living space. The structure must be genuinely strong, steel or heavy hardwood, because mature stems thicken like small tree trunks and will crush light battens.

Screening and privacy. Trained along a strong wire system on a boundary, one plant clothes about 5m of fence in a leafy summer screen. Remember it stands bare in winter.

Away from the house itself. Plant it clear of gutters, downpipes and neighbouring trees. Questing stems wind into anything within reach.

Growing white Chinese wisteria in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for flowering. It suits warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and subtropical climates and is completely frost hardy. Districts with a proper cold winter see the heaviest flowering; in the frost free subtropics growth is rampant but the spring display is lighter.

Soil. Deep, well drained soil with compost worked through. Established vines are unfussy and drought tolerant.

Water and feed. Water regularly through the first two summers. Go gently with fertiliser: high nitrogen feeds push leaves at the expense of flower. If it needs anything, use a flowering formulation in early spring.

Pruning. Twice a year, without exception. In summer, cut the long whippy shoots back to about five leaves; in winter, shorten those same spurs to two or three buds. This builds the flowering spur system and keeps the vine inside its allotted space.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell it in single 300mm pots and a 200mm pack of 6 for long runs of fence or pergola posts. Plants arrive as young vines ready to be tied to their support, and they spend their first season or two building a framework rather than flowering. Expect the first proper display in the second or third spring.

Orders are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse other climbing plants.
• For evergreen, lower maintenance perfume, consider Star Jasmine.
• Explore the rest of our fragrant plants.

Common questions

How long before it flowers?

Usually two to three springs after planting. The vine builds a framework first, and flowering begins as the spurs mature. Correct pruning brings that day forward.

Is wisteria safe around children and pets?

The seeds and pods are toxic if eaten, so remove the velvety pods that follow flowering in homes with small children or dogs that chew. Casual contact is harmless.

Will it damage my pergola?

A light one, yes, eventually. Mature trunks thicken and twist with real force, so build with steel posts or heavy section timber.

Why is my wisteria not flowering?

Too much shade, too much nitrogen or skipped pruning. Full sun, a lean diet and the spur pruning routine solve almost every case; young vines also simply need time.

Can I grow it in a pot?

Only with commitment. A very large tub, sturdy support and hard pruning twice a year can hold it, though a courtyard is often better served by a free standing standard.