Wisteria (alias; Wisteria sinensis)

There are actually two types of Wisteria; Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) and Japanese Wisteria (Wisteria foribunda). An interesting fact is that Chinese Wisteria twists clockwise around objects in its path, while Japanese Wisteria twists counterclockwise. It doesn’t really matter, they are both wanted for strangling trees, destroying native habitats and climbing up everything in their way. Wisteria is armed and dangerous and will take over an entire forest if left unchecked.

Many people have been seduced by Wisteria because it has fragrant blue flowers. They like that it climbs up their deck or pagoda. This is exactly why you should kill this plant. The flowers reproduce all over the place! The birds and the wind disperse the seeds, invading the surrounding areas. We have seen an entire forest in Woodstock, NY completely engulfed with Wisteria. It’s too late to do anything about it there. Don’t let it happen to you.

If your established Wisteria plant has stopped flowering, start looking around because the energy is going to the roots. Call us right away and we’ll send an agent out there who is an experienced gunslinger. If you don’t have Wisteria and for some reason want one, get the native variety and watch it closely.

Environmental Impact: Wisteria invades its territory by growing long straight runners with deep tap roots. The tap roots come about 10 inches apart. As more runners come along and cross over earlier ones, they are stapled to the ground. A mature stand of Wisteria will have layer upon layer of these roots until it looks like a Los Angeles freeway.

This strategy for survival outcompetes native species, which don’t stand a chance. Some people have said that Wisteria provides food for birds who eat the seeds. This is partly true. However, it is not their first choice. If they eat the seeds, it’s because there’s nothing else around for them. They are not nutritious so they must eat a lot of them.

Eradication: If we can get to the plants before they are fully mature, we will be successful without breaking your bank. The older they get, the more labor it will require. We have had great success severing the yellow, fibrous tap roots from the mother plant under the rhizome and then returning for maintenance.

With Wisteria as in these other invasives, a strategy is required. You can’t just jump in and start wailing away; it requires the one thing these plants don’t have, intellect. Well, that and specialized tools. We have both!