LA Good Questions: What Is This Climber?

Now that the weather is heating up, the backyard is finally blooming! Thankfully, last year's failures are proving me wrong...check out this climber that's doing some much-needed work on the trellis in my backyard. Last year, it just grew leaves...this year, beautiful purple blossoms are spilling out. I want to plant two more (the trellis is huge), but not sure what this plant is. Anyone know?

Comments (22)

Yes, wisteria. It comes in white and well as many shades of lavender and pink and if you don't prune it regularly it can really take over. It also produces these great velvety seed pods that explode when they're ripe sending the seeds shooting in all directions.

DO NOT PLANT MORE. You will be overrun.

I disagree. I have yet to ever see "too much" wisteria.

Squirrely-

It grew outside our back door as a kid. If we weren't vigilant with the pruning, we'd wake up one morning and have to bushwhack our way out the back door.

Seriously, more than one would be a big mistake. You already will have your work cut out for you to keep that one under control. Believe me, I've got one out back, and I'm in NYC, not LA. You've got a much longer growing season...

wow, thanks for the tip about not planting more...I had no idea wisteria was so...aggressive, especially with the shooting seeds trait! My trellis spans the width of the backyard (more or less), you can kind of see it here--you think it can cover the whole thing eventually with coaxing?

It's wisteria, and it is a VERY strong plant that can harm gutters, roofs, etc. if allowed to climb all over them. If it's just growing on the trellis, that's probably fine because the worst it can do is pull the trellis apart, but if it's near anything structural you should keep an eye on it. You can cut it back mercilessly and it will come back, so don't be afraid to do that.

Wisteria.

I had this at the very first house I lived in. It bloomed profusely and was so beautiful!

You will enjoy the scent from the blooms as well. I rented a house years ago along the beach with an upstairs deck covered in wisteria. It was pretty and when I smell the flower's perfume, it takes me back to those years in my coastal rental. I have heard lots about wisteria taking over if not regularly pruned. Probably best to have it confirmed at a gardening shop?

Wisteria can cause trouble if not kept under control. You need to prune it regularly, and you'll have a good idea when it's time to prune it because it will be a LOT larger than you need.

As for more than one, we live next door to a single wisteria that dominates a 50' fence. If your trellis is larger than that, go ahead and add a second one. Every fall we help our neighbor prune their wisteria back to about 1/4 its summer size, and every year it grows back. They do REALLY well in California.

Watch out for bees - they love wisteria.

It will cover that entire trellis. The fastest way to encourage top of the trellis growth it is to remove the leaves and shoots from the bottom and encourage top growth. In two years your trellis will be covered. You will have the beautiful vine and ark around the trellis supports and the leaves and flowers will drape down from the top.

Beautiful, but yeah -- wisteria is one of the most destructive plants out there. Be careful, be vigilant, and give it LOTS of room.

Wysteria is the Kudzu of the flowering world

i want a wisteria trellis - i was shopping around today and saw lots of colors and they were really expensive. i decided i want to do my patio wall covered in jasmine (much cheaper than my first choice of wisteria!)

you could also intersperse with honeysuckle. it will smell so good.

It's hardy, too, so don't worry about pruning it too much. I have one that's taking over my front yard now but when we planted it, it was this sad little twig that got drug all over the yard by the little girls who were "helping" us. All that abuse in 100 degree heat and it's fine now. If it falters a little, give it some extra water. You'll be getting out the clippers before you know it!

Just be sure you love the scent.