ARRRGGGGGGG, there'a another one that's blooming. All of them bloom except mine. It's wisteria. A vine that can be very invasive but it can be trained to grow into a bush or tree form also.

Lisa

Yes, I have a "tree" someone trained in my yard... and more vines tearing down a fence. Lisa, you're only in Tennessee, want to come dig up mine? Totally purple, I swear!

You might have to bring a backhoe to get it out, though...

Think I could get it out with a tractor? lol.

Lisa

Wow, aren't wisteria's difficult to maintain? Isn't there a huge process of pruning this bush? How do you prune this thing? Any suggestions? What about fertilizer?

I don't think they are difficult to maintain except in regards to keeping them in bounds! Plants that have escaped cultivation are now blooming in woodland areas all over the south, sometimes covering several acres in a purple haze!

Here is a link that might be useful: Pruning wisteria

For heavens sake!!! Don't even carry a bag of fertilizer by the thing. When ever you see a tendril reaching out for something nearby, cut it off. Especially around bushes like azalea. Otherwise it will smother everything and you'll never get rid of it. It comes up from the root if it's where the sprouts don't get mowed off.

I seem to be in the minority in most gardening groups regarding the wisteria. I've always been one who liked to plant things other people said to stay away from.

I planted a wisteria about 20 years ago, and it took it 16 years to bloom. I had heard that they can take a long time. I bought a second one and planted it beside the first and it actually bloomed at the same time my first one bloomed. I'd only had it about two or three years. We built a large arbor for it to climb and as I've had people say unless its steel (mine is wood) the wisteria will eventually tear it down.

But in the Spring I don't think there is anything any more beautiful than those blooms. The other thing to be very careful of is the seed pods. If you let them stay on the vine until they pop the seeds fling everywhere. That can really be a problem.

Good luck with yours.

Ann

The neighbor behind me has some that's made its way to the privacy fence that divides our yards. It's starting to strangle one of their camellias. You can bet I'll be keeping my clippers handy.