A blooming wisteria creates a mesmerizing scene to look at. Brimming with clusters of fragrant flowers, the show-stopping vine is loved by many gardeners.
The large pendulous flowers bloom in clusters on a vine. These flowers are in shades of blue, purple, pink, or white.
Imagine having a fence, garden, or a wide landscape covered with these blooms in more than one color. It looks amazing, right? Well, it’s even better in real life.
All the work and maintenance we put into growing these vines is so that we can enjoy these sweet-smelling joy for however long they stay.
However, this explosion of beauty doesn’t always come easy. Your patience will be tested when growing them, but it will all pay off when the flowers finally appear.
How Long Does Wisteria Take to Bloom?
Depending on how it was propagated, a wisteria can take up to three to five years before blooming. Plating from seed can take as long as 15 to 25 years or never bloom.
Proper planting, pruning, and care can enhance the blooming process. If you can be very patient, you won’t be disappointed when your plant finally begins to bloom.
When Does Wisteria Bloom?
Once a wisteria matures, it usually blooms in mid to late spring and summer, depending on the variety you have and where you live.
Of the three types of wisteria, Chinese, Japanese, and American, Chinese wisteria bloom first in spring.
Japanese and American wisterias bloom in late spring or summer, while American wisteria last in late summer.
How Long do Wisteria Blooms Last?
For the most part, the wisteria blooming period lasts two to three months. This includes any additional round of blooming that will occur after the spring bloom.
Wisteria blooms typically last several weeks, depending on the variety. Japanese wisteria blooms last the longest because they open slower than the others.
Some people are lucky to get a second set of blooms from their wisteria in the late summer or early fall. You can try deadheading your flowers to get a second bloom.
It is not a guarantee, and if the flowers do show up, they won’t be as much and intense as the first bloom, but you may be able to extend the bloom season a bit.
How to Care for Blooming Wisteria
To encourage your plant to keep blooming for as long as possible, focus on your wisteria’s health and general growing conditions year after year.
A healthy wisteria will climb quickly and bloom aggressively, delighting onlookers with dazzling flowers every spring and summer.
Water Your Wisteria Correctly
You have to get your watering right to maximize your wisteria’s bloom potential. Thankfully, it is not difficult to accomplish.
If you get rain regularly, there is no need for additional water. However, if you’re in a drought or not getting at least an inch of rain, you should add some water.
Take care not to overwater your plant. Keep the soil moist, but don’t let your plant sit in water.
You can stick your finger into the soil to determine whether the water is enough. It should feel moist to the touch.
Give Your Wisteria Enough Sunlight
Keep your wisteria in the full sun for at least six hours for your best chance of a complete, strong blooming season.
While it will grow deceptively well when grown in shaded areas, it won’t flower unless it’s getting enough sunlight.
Maintain Good Soil Conditions
It is always a good idea to check your soil composition before making any additions or amendments. You can use a home test kit or send a soil sample to a lab.
If your results indicate any anomalies, look for ways to sort out that problem immediately.
Prune Wisely
Pruning is key to maintaining your plant’s health and well-being. An unkempt wisteria vine can go out of control real quick, so you should not skip this step.
Pruning at the wrong time or improperly can lead to a very disappointing flowering season, so be sure to do it right.
Protect From Frost
Wisteria can grow in various climates, but a late spring frost can spell disaster for its blooms, especially if the weather was warm earlier.
The best way to prevent this from happening is to take steps to protect your plant in the event of unexpected freezing temperatures.
How to Make Wisteria Bloom
Gardeners are often devastated when their wisteria fails to bloom after the first year. Wisteria takes years to mature, so be patient with your young plant.
However, a lack of flowering can be caused by other factors such as too much shade, excess fertilizer, improper pruning, or frost exposure.
Your wisteria will not bloom if you’re not pruning it enough. For instance, summer pruning encourages those long shoots to become flowering spurs instead.
You’ll also need to prune so that new wood can grow for the blooms to come out.
If your wisteria runs out of water, it can reduce the number of blooms you see next year. If it gets extreme, you may not see any flowers.
Try to provide your plant with enough water to produce a complete set of blooms by the next season. Let the soil be moist and not oversaturated.
Your wisteria plant may develop root rot if the soil is too wet. This will stress your plant, making it susceptible to other problems.
These problems may impact it’s health negatively, and you’ll find your plant too distracted to put flowers out.
If your wisteria is in a spot retaining too much water, you may have to relocate it. You can try amending with compost first.
Spring frost can sometimes cause the developing buds to fall without having the chance to open. If this happens to your wisteria, trim off the damaged buds.
Then, move it to a sheltered spot to recover and bloom by the next flowering season. Wisteria is a resilient plant that will recover from a late frost.
Wisteria needs the right blend of nutrients, and many growers sometimes make a mistake with fertilizing, feeding the plant with excess nitrogen.
Using high-nitrogen fertilizers will encourage your wisteria to grow foliage with little to no blooms.
You can use superphosphate to balance out the excess nitrogen in the soil or ask trusted bodies for some information on what to do.
If your wisteria is not blooming because it is not getting enough light, you’ll need to adjust.
Gently prune any overhanging branches or remove any structure blocking the sun. Consider transplanting it if you have no other options.
The beauty of the wisteria cannot be compared with other trees or flowers. Mother nature took her time creating this plant.