Carolina Nature

Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of North Carolina

Japanese Wisteria (Wisteria floribunda)

Plantae>Magnoliophyta>Magnoliopsida>Fabales>Fabaceae>Wisteria floribunda (Willdenow) A.P. de Candolle

Japanese Wisteria (Wisteria floribunda)

Japanese Wisteria is a rare escape from cultivation in North Carolina.

The flowers are scented, but not as overpoweringly fragrant as Chinese Wisteria. It is much less common than the similar Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis), which has grape-scented flowers that bloom before the leaves emerge and has velvety seed pods.

French Broad River, Madison Co., NC 5/11/08.

Japanese Wisteria (Wisteria floribunda)

The flowers in Japanese Wisteria open sequentially, while those of Chinese Wisteria open all at once. The American Wisteria (Wisteria frutescens) of the Coastal Plain also has sequential flower opening, but has shorter inflorescences, unscented flowers, and smooth seed pods.

Madison Co., NC 5/11/08.

Japanese Wisteria (Wisteria floribunda)

Relative to Chinese Wisteria, the individual flowers are slightly smaller, but more numerous in an inflorescence. The leaves tend to have more leaflets (averaging 11-13 versus 9-11 for Chinese).

Madison Co., NC 5/11/08.

Japanese Wisteria (Wisteria floribunda)

Madison Co., NC 5/11/08.

More information:
University of Connecticut

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