When Does Wisteria Bloom & For How Long? [By Zone]

With its beautiful purple flowers, wisteria is a plant you will definitely want to have in your yard. However, you will need to be aware of the wisteria flower's blooming period. After doing the research, in this post, we will share information on when wisteria blooms and for how long by zone. Read on!

Wisteria grows in hardiness zones 5 through 9. It prefers warmer climates. In general, wisteria blooms during spring, in April and May, regardless of zone. These blooms last for two to three months, though the number of flowers at a time can vary depending on the age of the tree.

You might wonder how the different hardiness zones can affect when wisteria blooms. The next sections will explain this in further detail, along with tips on how to care for wisteria and promote better blooms each season. To learn all of this and much more, keep on reading!

When Does Wisteria Bloom And For How Long?

Beautiful purple wisteria in bloom. blooming wisteria tunnel in a garden near Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence, Italy

Wisteria blooms in the spring, typically between April and May. While hardiness zones will affect when and how long wisteria will bloom, it all comes down to the type of wisteria. Some wisteria can even survive in zones 3 and 4!

Here is a quick rundown on how wisteria blooms by zone:

  • Zones 3 through 4
    • Wisteria macrostachya can survive in this zone. Wisteria growing in zone 3 blooms in June. It is winter hardy and does not start growing flowers until two to three years from planting. This species can bloom up to three times in one season.
  • Zones 5 through 9
    • Wisteria macrostachya will grow in this zone. It will bloom in June.
    • Wisteria frutescens (American wisteria) grows in this zone. It will bloom in late April or early May.

There are a few other wisteria species, such as wisteria floribunda (or Japanese wisteria) and wisteria sinensis (or Chinese wisteria).

These will bloom at similar times of the year, between April and June, depending on the hardiness zone. Some wisteria may even bloom again in August.

In general, the best way to figure out when your wisteria will bloom is to identify which species you have.

Take care not to grow invasive species, as these will not bloom as well and can be harmful to the environment. Also, grow wisteria based on your hardiness zone.

For the most part, wisteria flowers bloom for two to three months. This includes any additional rounds of blooming that can happen after the spring season.

There are ways that you can extend this blooming period to the fullest, which we will go over in the next sections.

How Do I Know When My Wisteria Will Bloom?

Walking way in tunnel with Natural blue wisteria flowers in park. Beautiful Wisteria blossom

Wisteria takes a lot of effort to bloom. You will be able to tell that you are caring for your wisteria correctly when it starts blossoming in the spring. 

Wisteria can take two to 15 years to bloom, depending on the species. Most wisteria has to be at least seven years old.

Meanwhile, the cold-zone hardy and U.S.-native wisteria macrostachya will start blooming at around year two or three from planting.

For mature wisteria, you can tell that it is going to flower once tendrils start to grow longer. Eventually, these tendrils will develop into purple flower clusters.

Sometimes, these flower clusters will be sparse, especially in the first few years of flowering. Don't let this discourage you, as your wisteria will start growing more flowers in the coming years. 

Why Is My Wisteria Not Blooming?

Ashikagi park in japan, wisteria flower not yet blommed

It can be disheartening if your plant refuses to grow. The easy answer to why your wisteria is not blooming is that it is simply not ready. Even wisteria that is over a decade old can still be too immature to start blooming.

Another reason for the lack of flower growth is that your wisteria is unhealthy. Even if your plant is well over 15 years old, it may still struggle to grow if it is not receiving enough nutrition.

You must be very careful about the way you treat your wisteria to promote good flower growth.

Click here to see this wisteria fertilizer on Amazon.

Over-pruning is another reason your wisteria might not bloom. You could be cutting off shoots before they have the chance to grow into tendrils or flowers, thus preventing your wisteria from growing to its full potential.

While pruning is essential for good wisteria growth, avoid doing it too much.

With these factors in mind, you can observe your wisteria tree to see how you can fix the problem. Once you start caring for your wisteria properly, you can look forward to better flower growth in the next season.

How To Get A Wisteria To Flower

Wisteria flower in the garden, When Does Wisteria Bloom & For How Long? [By Zone]

You can force your wisteria to bloom by taking extra steps in the care of your plant. Take note that these are only applicable to mature wisteria trees. If your tree is younger than 15 years old, these methods may not work.

Despite this, applying some of these tips could help encourage growth as your tree matures. Otherwise, you may have one of the variants that mature faster. Here are some of the ways you can get your mature wisteria to flower.

Improving Wisteria Nutrition

One of the quickest ways to kickstart flower growth is by feeding your wisteria with phosphorus-rich fertilizer. Also known as phosphate fertilizer, it will balance any nitrogen content present in the soil.

Click here to see phosphate fertilizer on Amazon.

You can also work on improving your care routine for wisteria. This includes providing adequate sunlight and water to your plant. Soil type will also matter, as well as caring for the plant in changing seasons.

Proper Pruning

Avoid over-pruning or under-pruning your wisteria. You must prune your plant twice a year, at the start of the year and in the summer.

Pruning your plant just enough can help promote better branch growth. Also, prune at the roots and try not to damage the trunk.

Wisteria can be trained to grow a certain way through pruning. You can encourage your plant to be more treelike or even stay as a bonsai. When in doubt, you can always seek help from a professional in pruning your wisteria.

How To Grow And Care For Wisteria

Wisteria flower at Ashikaga flower park in japan

Native to parts of Asia, such as China and Japan, wisteria flourishes best in warmer zones during spring. Aside from the Asian variants, you can grow variants native to the U.S. instead. These will benefit the ecosystem in your area.

Whenever you plant wisteria, make sure to do it in well-drained soil. Most types of loam soils are great for this. A soil pH balance of 6.0 to 7.0 is ideal. Wisteria grows quickly and can reach heights between ten and 30 feet.

Getting wisteria to bloom is a little trickier in comparison. Give your plant at least six hours of full sunlight daily. Plant your tree where it can get a lot of sunlight, like facing south or west.

Wisteria is a perennial, so until it is well-established, you must water it regularly and make sure the soil is always moist. Well-established wisteria can then be watered only as needed, particularly when the soil starts to dry.

The soil must be moist at all times but not waterlogged. The right amounts of daily sunlight and well-draining soil will ensure that the water level in the wisteria is regulated.

Is Wisteria A Tree?

Wisteria (also spelled Wistaria or Wysteria) is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family

While wisteria is interchangeably referred to as a tree, vine, and shrub, it is, at its core, a vining plant. It is not considered a tree but can be trained to behave like one through pruning. 

Wrapping Things Up

Wisteria blooms in the spring and even up to early summer. This can be in April, May, or June, depending on the wisteria species. Once the blooming season begins, your plant will keep blooming for two to three months with an occasional second bloom.

Wisteria can grow in hardiness zones 3 through 9. Most species, however, will flourish in hardiness zones 5 through 9. Temperatures in zones 3 and 4 can be too cold, killing the perennial wisteria in the winter.

It can take years for your wisteria to bloom, so be patient. Take good care of your plant to ensure healthy growth in the future. Avoid over-pruning, and feed it with enough nutrients regularly.

Did you find this post helpful? If you did, check out our other articles before you go!

Wisteria Tree Vs Vine: Is There A Difference?

Does Wisteria Have Invasive Roots? [And How To Control Them]

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