PROMOTION: 30% off all tulip bulbs!
Share your pictures? Hide split images
I have read and agree the terms and conditions of service.
Not to be missed!

Wisteria floribunda Violacea Plena

Wisteria floribunda Violacea Plena
Japanese Wisteria

4,7/5
15 reviews
0 reviews
1 reviews
1 reviews
0 reviews

Beautiful plant, planted shortly after receiving it. It has grown beautifully in its first year and has already climbed well on its support. No flowers yet, which is probably normal for a spring planting. I am now eagerly awaiting its second spring to see its recovery. The base is full of buds, it feels like it's in the starting blocks.

Aurélie , 10/02/2024

Leave a review → View all reviews →

Schedule delivery date,

and select date in basket

This plant carries a 6 months recovery warranty

More information

A very floriferous Japanese wisteria, which produces long clusters adorned with violet buds opening into mauve and white double flowers, slightly scented. It blooms between late April and May, about a week after the Chinese wisteria. Its foliage takes on a beautiful ochre yellow colour in autumn before falling. This vigorous liana is easy to cultivate in any well-drained soil, even poor and fairly dry in summer, but not too chalky.
Flower size
35 cm
Height at maturity
10 m
Exposure
Sun, Partial shade
Hardiness
Hardy down to -20°C
Soil moisture
Dry soil, Moist soil
plantfit-full

Does this plant fit my garden?

Set up your Plantfit profile →

Best planting time March, October
Recommended planting time March to June, September to November
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Flowering time May to June
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Description

The Japanese Wisteria or Wisteria floribunda Violacea Plena, also marketed under the name Black Dragon, is an ancient variety with double flowers that is always appreciated for the abundance and beauty of its spring flowers. Its long hanging clusters adorned with purple buds open into double flowers, mauve and white, slightly fragrant. They appear among the already developed foliage, about a week after those of the Chinese wisteria. This vigorous climbing plant is easy to grow... but it can be cumbersome for its neighbouring plants, which it tends to displace.

Wisteria floribunda Violacea Plena is a horticultural selection introduced from Japan by Francis Parkmann (USA) in 1869. Its wild ancestor, the Japanese wisteria, called Wisteria floribunda in Latin, is a climbing plant with a large size and rapid growth belonging to the large Fabaceae family, just like clover, alfalfa, or lupins. It is native to Japanese forests and was introduced to Europe in the mid-19th century. Its long stems lignify with age. Sometimes a bit slow to establish, it is a robust plant, resistant to cold, not very demanding in terms of soil (although it does not tolerate excess active limestone), capable of growing in poor and dry soils in summer if they are deep. Its roots are deep and trailing.

This 'Black Dragon' cultivar develops stems that easily reach 10m (33ft) in length and spontaneously wrap around supports. The growth of new shoots is very fast, reaching several metres in the space of a season in moist soil. Flowering takes place after that of Chinese wisterias, in May-June. It develops on already leafy branches located not far from the lignified main stems. It takes the form of butterfly-like flower clusters, double, pendulous, 30 to 40cm (12 to 16in) long, less fragrant than those of Chinese wisteria, but well spaced on the vegetation. They open successively, from the base to the tip of the cluster. The petals, dark violet at first, then fade to mauve, almost white. The young leaves, bronze in colour, appear before flowering and then turn a light green. They are 20 to 30cm (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 yellow ochre colour, bright and warm. Very long-lasting, the Japanese Wisteria can live well over 50 years. Its flowering is nectar-rich.

The 'Violacea Plena' Japanese wisteria is an excellent romantic plant. A queen in the realm of climbing plants capable of enhancing a facade or structure, no matter how modest. This vibrant plant often survives in old neglected gardens, passed down by the person who planted it. It is also particularly useful for covering a wall or unsightly fence. It wraps itself around a fence or trellis without restraint if left to its own devices and tends to smother the surrounding plants. Choose a solitary location, in full sun or partial shade in warm climates. Or combine it with honeysuckles that are as powerful as it, such as Lonicera x delavayi, evergreen, with its fragrant yellow summer flowers, or Banks rose 'Alba Plena', thornless and covered in small white pompons 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 several years after planting, depending on the growing conditions. Grafted plants flower at a younger age.

Wisteria floribunda Violacea Plena in pictures

Wisteria floribunda Violacea Plena (Foliage) Foliage

Plant habit

Height at maturity 10 m
Growth rate normal

Flowering

Flower colour violet
Flowering time May to June
Flower size 35 cm
Fragrance slightly scented, honey

Foliage

Foliage persistence Deciduous
Foliage colour medium green

Botanical data

Genus

Wisteria

Species

floribunda

Cultivar

Violacea Plena

Family

Fabaceae

Other common names

Japanese Wisteria

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Product reference77162111

Other Wisterias

6
From €39.50 4L/5L pot
Available to order
From €27.50 2L/3L pot
6
From €20.50 2L/3L pot
9
From €34.50 2L/3L pot
13
From €14.90 8/9 cm pot

Available in 3 sizes

25
€17.50 1.5L/2L pot

Available in 2 sizes

13
€34.50 3L/4L pot

Available in 2 sizes

53
20% €10.00 €12.50 8/9 cm pot

Available in 3 sizes

7

Planting and care

Wisterias are easy and robust plants. They grow in full sun or partial shade in any garden soil, with a preference for poor and well-drained soils. They prefer an acidic to neutral soil and may wither in alkaline soil, causing the leaves to turn yellow. Plant them along a wall or train them on a pergola. Pruning is recommended to achieve better flowering.

In March-April, after the last frost, when the buds have appeared, cut back the current year's branches to two or three buds and remove weak branches. Training pruning is done in August. Avoid severe pruning, as it often takes several seasons to recover.

Wisterias can be trained as trees by raising them on a 1.5 to 2m (5 to 7ft) "parasol" stake, or as ground cover. Train and direct the branches in the first few years of growth. Avoid planting them near perennials, as they may not tolerate it well.

Planting period

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

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow
Type of use Free-standing, Climbing
Hardiness Hardy down to -20°C (USDA zone 6b) Show map
Ease of cultivation Beginner
Exposure Sun, Partial shade
Soil pH Acidic, Neutral
Soil moisture Dry soil, Moist soil, Deep, loamy, well-drained.

Care

Pruning instructions In March-April, after the last hard frosts, when the buds have appeared, prune the current year's branches after two or three buds and remove weak branches. Pruning for training purposes should be done in August. Avoid excessive pruning, as it often takes several seasons for the plant to recover.
Pruning Pruning recommended once a year
Pruning time March, August
Soil moisture Dry soil, Moist soil
Disease resistance Very good
Overwinter Can be left in the ground
4,7/5
No reviews
No reviews

Foolproof climbers

2
16
From €20.50 2L/3L pot

Available in 2 sizes

27
From €18.50 Wrapped bare root

Available in 2 sizes

27
From €18.50 Wrapped bare root

Available in 2 sizes

6
From €16.50 1.5L/2L pot
10
From €19.90 Wrapped bare root

Available in 2 sizes

9
€14.50 2L/3L pot
16
From €18.50 Wrapped bare root

Available in 2 sizes

106
From €8.90 10cm/11cm pot

Available in 4 sizes

39
From €16.50 Wrapped bare root

Available in 2 sizes

Haven't found what you were looking for?

We only deliver seed and bulb products to your country. If you add other products to your basket, they cannot be shipped.