Appearance

Wisteria floribunda is a deciduous, woody vine capable of growing to a height of 35 ft. (10.7 m). Stems can be up to 10 in. (25.4 cm) in diameter, with smooth, light gray to white bark. When looking down at the plant the vines twine around the host plant in a clockwise direction.

Foliage

Alternate, pinnately compound leaves (13-19 leaflets) are tapered at the tip with wavy edges. Leaves are up to 12 in. (30 cm) in length.

Flowers

Lavender, pink or white flowers are fragrant, very showy and abundant and occur in dangling clusters in the spring. Flowers clusters are 9-20 in. (22.9-50.8 cm) long.

Fruit

Seeds are contained within brown, hairy, flattened, bean-like pods. Although seeds are viable, vegetative growth is the primary method of spread for this invasive.

Ecological Threat

Invasions often occur around previous plantings. Wisteria floribunda can displace native vegetation and kill trees and shrubs by girdling them. The vine has the ability to change the structure of a forest by killing trees and altering the light availability to the forest floor. A native of Japan, it was first introduced into North America around 1830 for ornamental purposes.

Resources

• A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests - USDA Forest Service
• Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council Invasive Plant Manual - SE-EPPC
• Weeds Gone Wild: Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas - Plant Conservation Alliance
• Weed of the Week - USDA Forest Service
• Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas - National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Selected Images

Maps

Invasive Listing Sources

• Connecticut Invasive Plant List
• Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group
• Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council - Category 4
• Invasive Plant Species of West Virginia
• Invasive Species of Concern in Georgia
• Jil M. Swearingen, Survey of invasive plants occurring on National Park Service lands, 2000-2007
• John Randall, The Nature Conservancy, Survey of TNC Preserves, 1995.
• Kentucky Exotic Pest Plant Council - Moderate Threat
• Maine Invasive Plants
• Maryland Code and Regulations of Invasive Plants
• Maryland Cooperative Extension Service.  2003. Invasive Plant Control in Maryland. Home and Garden Information Center, Home and Garden Mimeo HG88. 4 pp.
• Maryland Department of Natural Resources Policy: Restriction on Planting Exotic Invasive Plants
• Maryland Invasive Species Council - Invasive Species of Concern in Maryland
• Missouri SRISP Species List
• National Park Service, Mid-Atlantic Exotic Plant Management Team Invasive Plant List
• New Jersey Invasive Species Strike Team 2017 Invasive Species List
• Non-Native Invasive Plants of Arlington County, Virginia
• Non-Native Invasive Plants of the City of Alexandria, Virginia
• Nonnative Invasive Species in Southern Forest and Grassland Ecosystems
• Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Invasive Plants
• Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas
• Rhode Island Natural History Survey
• South Carolina Exotic Pest Plant Council
• Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council
• Virginia Invasive Plant Species List
• WeedUS - Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States
• West Virginia Native Plant Society, Flora West Virginia Project, and West Virginia Curatorial Database System, September 3, 1999
• Wisconsin Noxious Weeds
• Wisconsin's Invasive species rule – NR 40

References