Wisteria frutescens, also known as American Wisteria or Texas Wisteria to the locals, is a beautiful and fragrant addition to any garden. This deciduous, woody vine can grow up to 40 feet or more, and is native to moist thickets, swampy woods, pond peripheries, and stream borders from Virginia to Illinois, Florida, and Texas.

The highlight of this plant is its stunning, fragrant, pea-like, lilac-purple flowers that bloom in drooping racemes in April-May after the leaves emerge. The flowers are not only beautiful, but also have a delicate, heavenly scent. And if you're lucky, you might even get an additional flush of summer blooms. The foliage, which consists of compound, odd-pinnate leaves, each leaf typically with 9-15 lance-shaped leaflets, is also a sight to behold.

Wisteria frutescens is easy to grow and maintain. It prefers to be planted in slightly acidic, humusy, moderately fertile, moist, soils in full sun. Full sun is needed for the best flowering. Although vines may produce flowers by the second or third year after planting, the first flowering may take longer. Regular pruning is needed to control the size and shape of the plant and to encourage flowering. Pruning should be done in late winter or early spring before the new growth appears. An application of fertilizer in early spring can also help stimulate flowering.

This plant is a bit picky about its growing site, it dislikes being transplanted, so choose a location wisely. Unlike its aggressive relative, Wisteria Sinensis (Chinese wisteria), Texas Wisteria is less aggressive and not as much of a spreader. Add this beautiful and fragrant vine to your garden and enjoy the stunning flowers every spring!"