Wisteria FLORIBUNDA 'ALBA'

Wisteria FLORIBUNDA 'ALBA' - White Japanese wisteria, Japanese Wisteria 'Alba', Wisteria floribunda.

Can be trained as bonsai!

Wisteria is a genus of deciduous climbing woody vines in the legume family (Fabaceae), comprising about 10 species originating from humid forests and water bodies of Eastern Asia (China, Japan, Korea) and the southeastern United States.

The shoots are twining and strong, capable of climbing supports of any height. Leaves are odd-pinnate, up to 35 cm (13.8 in) long, consisting of rounded-lanceolate, almost always dark green leaflets.

Flowering is profuse - large pendulous racemes of fragrant pea-like flowers open in late spring, often even before the foliage has fully unfurled, and can bloom repeatedly, though less noticeably, in summer. The fruit is a long velvety pod containing large, highly toxic seeds.

White Japanese wisteria is a deciduous liana native to Japan, reaching a height of 10 m (33 ft) in nature, with drooping branches, dark gray bark, and pubescent shoots and calyces. Large leaves up to 35-40 cm (13.8-15.7 in) long consist of 15-19 ovate-elliptic leaflets 6-8 cm (2.4-3.1 in) long and 2-3 cm (0.8-1.2 in) wide.

The flowers are 1.5-2 cm (0.6-0.8 in) long, pure white, gathered in slender pendulous racemes up to 25 cm (9.8 in) long. The fruit is a velvety pod tapering toward the base, 10-15 cm (3.9-5.9 in) long.

Wisteria seeds are large, with a very hard coat poorly permeable to water, which substantially slows germination without preliminary treatment.

Before sowing, the coat is lightly scratched with a hard tool or sandpaper, taking care not to damage the seed itself, or poured over with hot, nearly boiling water and left to cool in the same water for 12-24 hours. The seeds are then soaked in a 1% potassium permanganate solution for 1-2 hours, and afterward in warm water with the addition of a growth stimulant: SUPERthrive, HB-101, Aminozol, Epin, or Zircon for 6-8 hours until slightly swollen. They are sown in peat substrate to a depth equal to the diameter of the seed, moistened with a spray bottle, covered with plastic wrap, and germinated in the light at a temperature of 22-24 °C (72-75 °F).

Under favorable conditions, the first sprouts emerge in 2-3 weeks; main germination is usually completed within a month, while individual seeds may delay up to a month and a half. Seedlings are pricked out into individual pots at the stage of four true leaves.

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Wisteria is very light-demanding; the best place for it is the sunniest, south-facing window or room.

A plant trained as a standard tree is moved in autumn to a bright cool room with a temperature of 6-8 °C (43-46 °F) and air humidity of at least 70% - a frost-free cellar is suitable. From mid-January, the wisteria is gradually acclimated to a warmer and brighter location while being watered very moderately, and by late February it is returned to normal indoor conditions. Overwintering in a warm heated room can lead to the plant's demise.

During the active growth period, watering is moderate and misting is regular.

Repotting of young plants is performed annually, and mature plants every few years. Besides seeds, wisteria is propagated by cuttings: mature one-year-old shoots 25-30 cm (9.8-11.8 in) long are cut and rooted in a substrate of 1 part sand, 1 part humus, 3 parts sod soil, and 1 part peat.

During the blooming period, feeding with any liquid fertilizer for flowering houseplants is desirable.

For profuse flowering, wisteria is pruned at least twice a year - the first time after blooming, the second in autumn after leaf fall. In March, young shoots are shortened to 3-4 good buds, shaping the crown.