The Purple Invasion
The smell is intoxicating. The blooms are showy. And, like the Sirens it can lure you in and fill you with regret later.
This is Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) and as attractive as the blooms may be; beware, it is highly invasive.
It climbs up trees, shrubs and anything that will serve as a support.
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| Chinese Wisteria covering tree |
In spring their blooms are seen draping over tree limbs infesting the roadsides all over Georgia while their sweet smell lingers in the air like a strong perfume.
Chinese Wisteria was introduced to the United States in the early 1800's for ornamental purposes. It is found extensively throughout the eastern U.S. In the South it is often seen decorating porches and gardens. It is from these landscape plantings that they have naturalized and aggressively taken over.
Wisteria prefers moist soil and is shade tolerant but ideally likes sun for its prolific violet-blue flowers which only bloom during the plants transition from a young plant to adult. Since wisteria can live as long as 100 years this transition can take many years.
As it grows it twines upward in a clockwise direction cutting into the bark of the host tree eventually girdling and killing the tree. The weight of these vines can also topple large trees.
Just look at the size of this vine! Poor tree!
It reproduces through seed pods and by sending out runners and roots from its stem.
These vines have the capability of changing the structure of a forest by killing trees and altering the light availability to the forest floor making them a threat to our native flora.
If you find Wisteria growing in your garden be mindful to control it or better yet remove it entirely making sure to get all the roots to prevent resprouting.
If you find Wisteria growing in your garden be mindful to control it or better yet remove it entirely making sure to get all the roots to prevent resprouting.
If you like this plant consider planting the native American wisteria (Wisteria frutescens) instead. Other attractive options include Trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans), Trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), Dutchman's pipe (Aristolochia macrophylla) or Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata).
