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Wisteria floribunda Shiro-noda

Wisteria floribunda Shiro-noda (Longissima Alba, Snow Showers)
Japanese Wisteria

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An old selection of Japanese Wisteria that produces very long clusters of white flowers, slightly scented, with a real elegance. This vigorous climbing plant flowers abundantly in spring and then blooms lightly in summer among its foliage. Ideal for flowering a pergola, a fence wall or climbing a tree, it brings softness and romance to the garden.
Flower size
40 cm
Height at maturity
8 m
Spread at maturity
6 m
Exposure
Sun, Partial shade
Hardiness
Hardy down to -23°C
Soil moisture
Dry soil, Moist soil
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Best planting time March, October
Recommended planting time March to May, September to November
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Flowering time May to June
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Description

The Wisteria floribunda 'Shiro-noda' is a wonderful white Japanese wisteria sometimes marketed under the names of Wisteria brachybotrys 'Shiro-noda' or W. longissima 'Alba'. Introduced from Japan to European gardens by Von Siebold around 1860, this form with very long clusters of white flowers is quite similar to the Japanese wisteria 'Alba'. It is a vigorous, climbing vine-plant that blooms abundantly in spring, at the same time as its young leaves emerge. It is also appreciated for its autumn foliage, which is a very warm golden yellow. Cold-resistant and water-efficient, it thrives in deep, well-drained soil, preferably non-calcareous.

The Wisteria floribunda 'Shiro-noda' is a white form of Japanese wisteria, also known as Floribundus wisteria, or Wisteria floribunda in Latin. It is a large climbing plant with rapid growth belonging to the large family of Fabaceae, just like clover, alfalfa, and lupins. It is native to Japanese forests and was introduced to Europe in the mid-19th century. Its long voluble stems, which can reach 8-10 m (26-33ft) in length, lignify with age. Sometimes a bit slow to establish, it is a robust plant, perfectly cold-resistant, not very demanding in terms of soil even though it is sensitive to excessive active limestone. This wisteria can grow in poor and dry soils in summer if they are deep. Its roots are deep and running.

The 'Shiro-Noda' variety develops stems that can easily reach 9 m (29ft) in length, which naturally wrap around supports. The growth of new shoots is very rapid, several metres in a single season in cool soil. Flowering occurs after that of Chinese wisterias, in May-June, on fairly young grafted plants. It develops papilionaceous, pendulous flower clusters, 40 to 50 cm (16 to 20in) long, less fragrant than those of Chinese wisteria, but well-spaced along the vegetation. They open successively, from the base to the tip of the cluster. If the soil does not dry out too much in summer, the Japanese wisteria can produce a few clusters amidst its foliage. Hanging pods follow the flowers, green at first and turning brown when ripe. The young bronze leaves then turn a light green, and later a medium green in summer. They are 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12in) long and divided into 13 to 19 ovate leaflets, giving the foliage a light appearance. Before falling in autumn, the leaves take on a beautiful golden colour. Very long-lasting, the 'Shiro-noda' Wisteria can live well over 100 years. Its flowering is nectariferous and melliferous.

The Japanese wisteria 'Siro-noda', like all wisterias, is the ultimate romantic plant. A queen in the realm of climbing plants, capable of beautifying a facade or structure, no matter how modest. This lively plant often survives in old gardens left to themselves by the one who planted it. It is also particularly useful for covering a wall or hiding an unsightly fence. It wraps itself around a trellis or grille independently if allowed, and tends to smother nearby plants. To accompany it, consider powerful honeysuckles, such as Lonicera (x) delavayi, evergreen, with a fragrant yellow summer flowering, or the Banksia rose 'Alba Plena', thornless and covered in small white pompoms in May. The floribunda wisteria also gets along very well with Clematis montana.

However, be patient: the first flowering of the Wisteria may not appear until after 3 years, depending on the growing conditions.

 

 

Wisteria floribunda Shiro-noda in pictures

Wisteria floribunda Shiro-noda (Flowering) Flowering
Wisteria floribunda Shiro-noda (Foliage) Foliage

Plant habit

Height at maturity 8 m
Spread at maturity 6 m
Growth rate normal

Flowering

Flower colour white
Flowering time May to June
Flower size 40 cm
Fragrance Fragrant, honeyed and floral, smooth
Bee-friendly Attracts pollinators

Foliage

Foliage persistence Deciduous
Foliage colour green

Botanical data

Genus

Wisteria

Species

floribunda

Cultivar

Shiro-noda (Longissima Alba, Snow Showers)

Family

Fabaceae

Other common names

Japanese Wisteria

Botanical synonyms

Wisteria floribunda 'Snow Showers', Wisteria sinensis 'Snow Showers', Wisteria floribunda 'Longissima Alba', Wisteria floribunda 'Snow Showers'

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Product reference19086

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Planting and care

The Wisteria floribunda 'Shiro-noda' is a vine-plant that is easy to grow in all our regions, from north to south, as long as the soil it is planted in is sufficiently deep and loose. It thrives in any well-drained garden soil, with a preference for slightly poor soils. However, it prefers an acidic to neutral soil and may wither in soils that are too chalky. Once rooted, it can withstand summer drought and does not require watering, even in the Mediterranean. To improve the hardiness of the Wisteria floribunda, which is already quite good, plant it in a well-draining soil and train it against a south-facing wall, as it will then tolerate very harsh winters more easily.

Wisterias can be trained as trees by growing them on a "parasol" stake measuring 1.5 to 2 m (5 to 7ft), or they can be used as ground cover in a large wild garden.

General pruning:

In February, when the flower buds have formed, prune the branches without flower buds to a short length (2 buds), in order to aerate the plant. Do not leave more than 4 flower buds (rounded) on the same stem. To train a wisteria to climb a tree, no training pruning is required.

Pruning for training against a wall: After planting, prune the main shoot to 75-90 cm (30-35in) above the ground. In the first year, tie the lateral shoots to the support and prune the others to 2 buds. In the first winter, prune the lateral shoots by 1/3 of their length and the others to 2 buds; prune the main shoot to 75-90 cm (30-35in) above the main lateral shoot. Repeat this process in the following years, until the wisteria is fully trained on the support. Once established, in late summer, prune all the shoots to 15 cm (6in) from the edge of the support, leaving 4-6 leaves on each shoot. In mid-winter, reduce these shoots to 8-10 cm (3-4in), leaving only 2 buds.

Planting period

Best planting time March, October
Recommended planting time March to May, September to November
Type of support Arbour, Tree, Wall

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow, Woodland edge
Type of use Free-standing, Climbing
Hardiness Hardy down to -23°C (USDA zone 6a) Show map
Planting density 1 per m2
Exposure Sun, Partial shade
Soil pH Acidic, Neutral
Soil moisture Dry soil, Moist soil, loamy, friable, well-drained

Care

Pruning instructions Pruning is recommended to obtain better flowering: in March-April, after the last frost, when the buds have appeared, cut the new branches after two or three buds and remove weak branches. Training pruning is done in August.
Pruning Pruning recommended twice a year
Pruning time February, September
Soil moisture Dry soil, Moist soil
Disease resistance Very good
Overwinter Can be left in the ground

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