How to Grow Chinese Wisteria From Seed

Chinese wisteria grows quickly and easily from seed.

Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) originates in the mild, mountainous regions of Southern China. It is a woody perennial vine growing to between 60 and 100 feet in length, with light-green pinnate foliage and a summertime display of fragrant, pendulous flower clusters. Gardeners in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 5 to 9 can grow Chinese wisteria with little concern, though it requires ample moisture during the summer months in warmer climates. Growing Chinese wisteria from seeds presents few challenges, but the plants are slower to mature than cutting-propagated wisterias and will take several years to bloom.

Things You'll Need

• Bypass pruners
• Bowl
• Shovel
• Hand cultivator
• Compost
• Trellis

Instructions

1. Harvest seeds from Chinese wisteria in late summer when the pods dry out and become dark brown. Snip the seed pods with bypass pruners and collect them in a sack. Do not harvest green seed pods because they will not continue to ripen and the seeds will rot. Store the pods in a cool, dark place until early spring.

2. Clip the ends of the pods with the bypass pruners and shake the seeds out in a bowl. Pour warm water over the seeds and soak them for 24 hours before planting. Drain the seeds on a rag or paper towel.

3. Find an appropriate planting site in spring when soil temperatures reach 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Choose a spot with at least six hours of sunlight each day and average garden soil with good drainage.

4. Work the soil in a 3-foot diameter to a depth of 20 inches using a shovel to loosen the soil and a hand cultivator to aerate it and break it apart. Spread an 8-inch layer of compost over the planting site and work it into the soil with the cultivator. Create a 3-foot bed for each Chinese wisteria plant, spacing them 15 feet apart.

5. Sow one Chinese wisteria seed in the center of each 3-foot-diameter bed. Press the seed 1 inch below the surface of the soil and gently tamp it. Water the seed to a depth of 7 inches every 10 days. Germination occurs in 15 to 25 days.

6. Install a trellis or other support once the seedlings reach 6 inches in height. Continue watering the seedlings to 7 inches every 10 days.

References

• "The Year in Trees: Superb Woody Plants for Four-Season Gardens"; Kim E. Tripp; 2001