It's notoriously hard to describe fragrances, to paraphrase Marty Mull, it's like dancing about architecture.

That being said, the big issue here is, how long do you want to wait for the fragrance? Asian wisterias only begin blooming when mature, up to 10 years, though it may be sooner in your warm climate. The other thing is, both Chinese and Japanese species can be invasive, so you'll have to prune off all the seed pods or you'll be pulling up shoots all over the yard every spring.

Fortunately, we've got two good natives, frutescens and macrostachya -- both of which bloom much faster, often the first year after planting. I find frutescens only lightly scented, but a cultivar of macrostachya, 'Clara Mackie' is supposed to be pretty nice.

If you must have the Asian variety, get the biggest, oldest plant you can find, and be very, very careful of the seeds. If you go native, you'll get less fragrance but repeat blooming, faster.

And the fragrance? I'd call it a heavy, floral, scent, a bit like lilacs. Hope this helps!

JS

Thanks for the reply, Jim.

The biggest reason I wanted one was b/c of the fragrance I've heard it has. However, on the cottage garden forum, there were several people who say they really dislike the smell.

And yes, I know about the invasive issue. You should drive around here in March/April! I was hoping that the japanese is not anywhere nearly as invasive the Chinese -- because of the longer flowers and hopefully the fragrance.

My neighbor has a frutescens vine on her side yard, and it is nice. The thing is that the flowers don't have the same droopy grace as the asian ones. BUT.. I've seen the macrostachya one online and it is a bit longer.

I guess I would trade fragrance off for a clean conscience in knowing I am not part of the problem (in terms of introducing another one into an ecosystem already over-abundant with the invasive exotic).

Thanks.

BTW, you have the same birthday as my sister :)

Floweryearth,

Glad to help -- a few edits to my post above: first, if you can find an asian wisteria that's grafted (top of the plant stuck onto older rootstock) it'll bloom much faster than a non-grafted one. Second, it's not Clara Mackie that's fragrant, but Blue Moon. If I was going to get a new wisteria I'd go with Blue Moon.

FWIW, I'm glad you're conscious of the invasive issue, but what many folks don't realize is that it's just a huge pain chopping the Asian species back as it tries to swallow your house, picking up the %*#@^ seed pods, and digging seedlings out all over the yard! Less work is my motto!

Enjoy!

P.S. If it's fragrance you're after, there are a number of other wonderful, and non invasive, things you could grow:

Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)
Asian jasmine (Trachelosperum asiaticum and jasminoides)
True jasmines (Jasminum grandiflorum, officinale, etc.)
Passionflowers (Passiflora incarnata and its hybrids; alato-caerulea, etc.)
Kiwi fruit (Actinidia chinensis)

Not that I'm enabling or anything . . . .

Thanks Jim. I completely agree in gardening efficiently to create less work, b/c that way you can spend more time really enjoying the plants.

Also, thanks for the heads up on wisteria maintenance. I knew it was an aggressive grower that needs frequent trimming or it will takeover with both the main vine or suckers... but I didn't know about the seedpod issue and the removal of the seedlings. Forget that!

I'll just find a reed diffuser! lol

Last year I planted a Jasminum grandiflorum from Logees. I know its hardy... but I don't know if it will come up this year b/c earlier this winter when I scratched the wood of the tiny vine, it was dead to the ground. (I have heard that its supposed to be shrubby, and not herbaceous.)

You know, I really wish there was a way that logees could be a little less pricey for such tiny plants. Do you know of someone else I can get a good Jasminum g. from?

Thanks :)

Floweryearth,
Before you choose to give up on wisteria,
Go to a local nursery, not Home Depot, a real nursery and see if they have wisteria trees for sale that are blooming.
They aren't expensive, I only paid 15.00 for mine.
I planted it next to my front door because it will get after noon shade, and it is doing fine.
I have the Chinese kind.
They graft these trees onto a standard older one.
It will bloom all summer if you cut it with sissors, and if you want to control the growth, pinch it with your finger nail, don't use sissors, and you will be fine.
Oh, the fragrance is awesome!
Cut the flowers off right when they look like they are getting ratty and you won't have problems with seeds!
Or better yet, cut them bring them in for an air freshner!
LOL!
Check out this nursery online, I have ordered from them quite a few times and I have been pleased with them.
Brushwood nursery.
They have everything!
Even Blue Moon wisteria. (which is gorgeous).
Good Luck!

Butterfly, thanks for the advice. I still really want to try it, because something tells me that although there are some who dislike its fragrance, that I would still like it anyway.

Are you sure you have the Chinese one? I ask because I've heard of a chinese wisteria with a scattered, lighter repeat, but not one that flowers all summer. Would you happen to know the name of the cultivar? Originally, I was looking into the double purple japanese or the chinese one called 'Prolific'.

I hope I can find one like the one you have. How long have you had yours? Because I know they are supposed to grow like crazy, bit it sounds like yours has been easy to control. How often have you had to cut it back? If it's that easy I'll plant it near my front porch where it will be fun to just pinch it and smell it when I step out... and not have to worry about the invasive factor!

Thanks and I'm looking forward to hearing from you again! :)

a word to the wise from another zone 8 gardener:
the seeds might be the least of your worries as they are large and hard and shouldn't disperse very far from the parent plant. however, the plants sucker like mad and these vines are hard to eradicate, even with herbicide. i am still trying to remove a plant from my yard after years of cutting, spraying and painting with herbicide. it comes up everywhere from underground and then those runners peg down and create more vines. they can appear long distances from the source plant, criss-crossing your lawn and beds like a strangling, alien web of suffocation. the vines are like sinew and resist all but the sharpest of pruners. even our native species is thuggish and can grow into an enormous plant when cultivated. a friend has 'amethyst falls' on an arbor and the main trunk is as large as my wrist after less than 10 years! no noticeable fragrance from it, either. in zone 8, i would caution against planting any of them near areas that are tended to by the gardener. best left in the woods!
btw, the fragrance of the asian ones are like sweet floral + light grape to me.
gotta run now and get my flamethrower....i see it coming towards the carport! ;-)

Thanks Jeff. Although I really want one, I have been going back and forth on the decision. One thing I was wondering is if I were to put a root barrier (bury a ring of deep metal roof flashing), if that would contain the runners.

Regardless, In the mean time I won't be getting one since I don't have a decent place for one. Maybe at my next house I will. I just don't know right now. One thing I've been dreaming of is having a house where I can have I huge, strong pergola built on which I can put a different variety on each of the four corners so that in spring I can drink lilac tea under a arbor with pink, blue, purple, and white flowers swaying in the soft breeze... I'll get my head outta the clouds now. :)

Wisteria can really vary. I have a Wisteria sinensis that gives very little trouble with suckers, and is very fragrant. I have a pink one (tag said "hybrid", no other info on type) that has absolutely no fragrance and lots of suckers.
Ruth

Thanks for the info :)