Wisteria
Wisteria is a
genus of woody climbing vine which produces clusters of purple, blue, or white flowers which look, from a distance, like
grapes and typically bloom in the spring. It was named after Dr. Caspar Wistar, a professor of anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania. The flowers of some varieties are fragrant; the vine itself is hardy and is found in the
United States and
Japan. The vine's seeds are
poisonous.
Culture:
Wisteria can take decades to bloom when grown from seed; for that reason it is best to only grow plants that have been started from rooted or grafted cuttings of plants known to flower. Another reason for failure to bloom can be excessive fertilizer (particularly nitrogen).