How to propagate wisteria
There are several ways to propagate wisteria.
1. seeds 2. cuttings 3. grafts
Seeds
Soak the seeds for 24 hours before planting in seed soil mix.
When started from seed, wisteria will not be true to variety and can take 10 years or more to bloom.
Cuttings
Take soft stem cuttings in late spring-midsummer. Cuttings should be 2 1/2″-3″ long with two to three pairs of closely spaced leaves. Remove the soft tip. Dip the cutting in rootone and plant in sand, perlite, vermiculite or a mixture of all three. Keep moist and when you see signs of new growth you’ll know there are some roots. Rooting should take 6-8 weeks.
Not all cultivars will root or be true to the cultivar.
Wisteria will bloom 2-3 yrs from stem cuttings-better than 10 years when started from seed.
Another method is by digging out suckers and underground runners that spread in the soil. The roots will produce a true cultivar.
Layering
You can also try layering – which is done by covering part of a one year old stem that has been bruised with soil and leaving the shoot tip above the soil line. This can take as long as a year and produce the same plant. When the plant develops new roots, sever the stem from the main plant and transplant it.
Once established wisteria can become an aggressive vine climbing up to 30 feet. Some varieties are considered invasive in warmer climates. So check with your local extension office for which one is “safe” to grow in your area. All parts of the plant including the seeds are poisonous. Here’s the good news wisteria is deer resistant.
From the reader archive
Useful reader questions
Not blooming Why doesn’t my wisteria bloom every year? It had 100 flowers on it one year then none for the next two years. I live in Michigan. I try to make sure that I cover them up in the spring if…
Read Cindy discussionI recently planted two wisteria bushes next to a sturdy trellis. One is an Aunt Dee’s and is not doing as well. When I planted it there was a large grub-like looking worm in the bottom of the bucket, however I did…
Read Becky discussionI have wisteria that since they were roots I received from Cottage Farms in the spring. They have now grown to the climbing stage I have them climbing on different size poles. I want to plant them in the ground and need…
Read Teresa Jones discussionHi I have a Wisteria that was planted 2 years ago. It goes through a cycle of looking dead and then sprouting new leaves. It has never bloomed. I have been told it probably needs more sun. I have a chain link…
Read anita discussion
I just wanted to say thank you for your website! I have been searching for info on propagating a wisteria. My husband is working on a job and was amazed at all the pods this tree has. We were wondering if we could plant them, but after reading your site I see that cuttings or suckers would be better way to start. Loved you site, thanks I will come back for more info!
JoAnne
I live in Ohio zone 5. I want to make a tree out of a wisteria vine. Do I have to cut off all stems to make just 1 trunk or can you leave it as a multi stemmed twisted trunk?
Plant seeds
My grandson picked several pods from my wisteria last week. Now the pods are popping.Can I plant these seeds & how do I go about it?
I want to make a POTTED wisteria tree–the kind that ends up looking like a weeping willow–sort of “fountain-like.” How do I do THAT?
I pulled up a piece of trumpet vine with a bit of root from a plant growing on a cow pasture fence. I planted away from house and vegetable garden and it started blooming the 2nd year. It now covers a horse shed and dog runs and is never watered or fertilized by me. the horse prunes it slightly when it grows inside her shed but has never become sick. Maybe it’s not the right choice for cultivated gardens but it’s great color for no effort, just make sure you have room and keep it away from other desirables. I plant other hardy plants (lantana, aloe) at it’s base since the stalks became unattractive. I’m in zone 9, hot, humid Texas gulf coast.
Yellow leaves
My Wisteria does not look well. Some of the leaves are yellow and it did not bloom much last spring which was our first spring here in Austin, TX. Can anyone tell me how to get it healthy?
Hi I live in florida and have a 2Gal wisteria vine. I would like to know if i can have sprinkler water from well water hit the plant? I want to plant this in the front yard in full sun climbing up a 8′ stump that is forked will this work ok? thats my 2 questions thanks Mark
I have seven purple wisteria plants growing on fences in my yard. one was planted by a ditch(I do not water this one, it is three times the size of the others) near the road, the other six grow on a cross fence higher up on the property. I ran soaker hoses to the six. Two are growing strong and had beautiful blooms as did the one by the ditch. The other four are in different stages of growth. One closest to the house, leaves are curling(still green) I tried a fertilizer on thursday, will have to wait to see if it helps. I’m ready to try the seedlings, then maybe cuttings. I also live in Florida, well water is fine for wisteria so far.
Hello, I mistakenly planted my wisteria next to my butterflybush (which is now about 8 ft tall. What do I do should I replant the wisteria somewhere else or do I risk replanting the butterfly bush??? Help the wisteria is climbing the house.
Not blooming
Why doesn’t my wisteria bloom every year? It had 100 flowers on it one year then none for the next two years. I live in Michigan. I try to make sure that I cover them up in the spring if there is going to be a frost.
Thanks for all of the great insight into wisteria. Mine bloomed for the first time since I planted it last summer. It wintered very well and the blooms were gorgeous. I saw the seed pods and thought i might try to plant them, but good to know that cuttings are the way to go…..thanks alot! Bookmarked this site!
I recently planted two wisteria bushes next to a sturdy trellis. One is an Aunt Dee’s and is not doing as well. When I planted it there was a large grub-like looking worm in the bottom of the bucket, however I did not see any others attached to the ball. I planted about three weeks ago and have had several leaves turn yellow/brown and fall off, they are not curling and there is new growth so I’m not sure if it is transplant shock or if it is associated with the worm. I live in Kentucky and it has been very hot, 90s every day, so I have been watering every day or every other day. I do not want to loose this bush as I am counting on this to provide shade, what can I do? Thanks!
Nutrient problem
The leaves on my wisteria vine at the top are all turning yellow. I am watering in this area 2 minutes per day. Please let me know. Thank you.
Hi I have a Wisteria that was planted 2 years ago. It goes through a cycle of looking dead and then sprouting new leaves. It has never bloomed. I have been told it probably needs more sun. I have a chain link fence in my yard where the best sun is located through out the day. Will it be choked by the vine that is trying to cover all the Florida trees or would the Wisteria dominate? That vine has attached itself to my fence. I am somewhat frustrated because I do not have much choice about where to transplant it, my property does not have a lot of sunlight hitting it. Thanks for your help!
Cuttings
I totally love wisteria and my neighbor has a bush. I want to get a cutting or a sucker like I did to get my lilac bush. My house faces east and west. So I don’t know if it would be best to plant behind my house (east side) or in front (west side) which is where I would prefer to plant it. My “Green thumb” is really “black” but I was successful with the lilac I planted from a sucker, but it took almost 4 years for it to bloom due to late frosts and/or snows [I live in Wichita, Kansas]. Please advise me as to the best method to grab & grow a bush of my own. Thanks in advance for your advice.
Jay from Wichita
Taking my Aunt Dee Wisteria out of its 10 inch pot soon and putting it in the ground. The plant is going to be in my yard on an arbor I made from cedar. I am looking for any tips I can get from this wonderful site to better my chances for success.
tree wisteria
I had a beautiful Wisteria tree and the trunk became very limp. I cut the tree down. Two years later I find long Wisteria vines along the soil, so I stake 3 tall heavy steel poles in the ground and the vines are growing up. I read that if you want a tree you need to choose the vine with the strongest trunk and cut the other shoots back and let it grow. There is already pretty flowers on the vine and I kinda don’t want to cut them back, but I would like a tree. I don’t know what too do. What do you think. Thank you in advance. Juliette
Wisteria as a houseplant?
We have a nice old plant that I have been braiding
and twisiting the shoots[ long growths while soft to each other]
when they harden it looks really nice with all the twists and braiding.
We did let it grow to over 30 feet into the trees but have been keeping it like a waterfall lately..
I wonder if we could grow a houseplant one or not?
I have wisteria that since they were roots I received from Cottage Farms in the spring.
They have now grown to the climbing stage I have them climbing on different size poles. I want to plant them in the ground and need to find out the best time to do that in Cedar Park Texas. I want to plant them near two China Berry trees to create an arch. When will be the best time to take out of the pot plants this year to do this or should I transfer into a larger pot and wait till next spring? I await your answer.
Thank you,
Teresa Jones
Wisteria turning yellow. Some breeds of wisteria are supose to turn yellow in the fall