Chinese wisteria

Family

Fabaceae

Scientific Name

Wisteria sinensis

Synonyms (former Scientific Names):

Rehsonia sinensis

Habit

Deciduous perennial woody vine that can grow up to 60 feet long.

Leaves

Shiny, green, pinnately compound leaves with 9 to 13 leaflets per leaf. Individual leaflets are 1 to 2 inches long and the the entire leaf being 6 to 12 inches in length.

Identifying Characteristics

Branches that have grown in the current season are highly pubescent. Seed production is low and the plant mainly spreads by layering and suckering instead of by new seedlings.

Flower Seed Head

The flowers grow on individual stems 6 to 12 inches in length containing multiple individual flowers. The flowers appear and open before the leaves expand in the spring.

Seed Fruit

Small pubescent pods that look like bean pods 2 to 4 inches in length containing multiple seeds. Each seed is about 0.25 inches in diameter and flattened. Seeds will shatter in the summer and fall and the empty pods will persist through the winter.

Where Found

Home gardens, wooded areas, roadsides

Growth Habit

Varies:

vine,

woody bush or tree

Thorns or Spines

not present

Approximate Flower Diameter

Varies:

nickle,

quarter,

half dollar,

larger

Dominant Flower Color

Varies:

white,

blue,

purple

Flower Symmetry

bilateral symmetry

Leaf Hairs

no hairs

Leaf Shape

Varies:

lance,

oval

Leaf Arrangement

alternate

Leaf Margin

entire

Leaf Structure

pinnate

Leaf Stalk

shorter than leaf

Stem Hairs

Varies:

has hairs,

no hairs

Stem Cross Section

round or oval

Milky Sap

not present

Root Structure

Varies:

fibrous,

taproot

Life Cycle

perennial

Plant Type

Vine