Space is what is needed for the wisterias, for there are a number of different species and cultivars and they are really forest climbers that can eventually develop huge woody stems. Good places to grow them are up through established trees, over walls, trellises and pergolas.

They like a good hard prune and will respond with a shower of flowers, often before any leaves have opened in the spring. A new plant will not flower for a few years, so be patient. After that it is simply a question of controlling where it will grow and keeping it within bounds, if you want to. In hot places it produces pods from which you can collect the seeds.

Looking Good:
Find the super-flowering wisteria at Greys Court, Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire, in the spring.

Best With:
Best by itself.