Wisteria macrostachya 'Aunt Dee'
Overview
Uses: Arbors, pergolas, trellises, fences, privacy screening on supports, pollinator gardens, specimen vine.
Benefits: A cold-hardy wisteria that delivers the romance of cascading purple flowers without the aggressive, structure-crushing growth of Asian types. Fragrant lavender-purple racemes open in early summer after the foliage fills in, and the vine often reblooms lightly later on. Vigorous but manageable, it is an excellent choice for clothing an arbor or fence.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4–9
Sun: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Life Cycle: Deciduous Vine
Growth Habit: Climbing — twining woody vine that climbs by stems.
Bloom Color: Lavender, Purple
Mature Height: 15–25 feet
Mature Width: 4–8 feet
Bloom Season: Late spring to early summer
Growth Rate: Moderate to Fast
Summary
'Aunt Dee' brings the cascading purple drama of wisteria to colder gardens, on a native vine that stays far more manageable than its notorious Asian cousins.
In early summer, dense racemes of fragrant lavender-purple flowers drape from the twining stems, opening once the compound leaves have leafed out so the blooms rest against fresh green. A lighter second flush often follows. Bees and butterflies move through the flowers all season.
Trained onto a sturdy arbor, pergola, or fence, the vine becomes a living curtain of bloom. Because it is a North American species rather than an Asian one, it flowers at a younger age and grows with restraint that makes it a dependable, long-term performer.
Care
Kentucky Wisteria 'Aunt Dee' Care
Plant Kentucky wisteria in full sun for the heaviest bloom, in average, well-drained soil. It tolerates part shade but flowers less freely there. Provide a strong, permanent support from the start, as mature vines are heavy.
Water regularly during the first season to establish; afterward the vine is fairly drought-tolerant. Avoid high-nitrogen feeding, which encourages leaves at the expense of flowers — a balanced slow release fertilizer in early spring is plenty if you feed at all.
Prune to shape and to encourage bloom: cut back the long whippy summer growth in midsummer, then shorten again in late winter to a framework of spurs. Regular pruning keeps the vine tidy, in bounds, and flowering well.
Size
What Size is the Kentucky Wisteria 'Aunt Dee' for Sale Online?
Our Kentucky Wisteria 'Aunt Dee' ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please contact us.
How Large Does Kentucky Wisteria 'Aunt Dee' Grow?
Kentucky wisteria 'Aunt Dee' climbs 15 to 25 feet on a support and spreads about 4 to 8 feet wide, though it is easily kept smaller with routine pruning. Its ultimate size depends largely on the structure you give it and how often you prune.
Additional Information
What are some common names for this plant?
It is commonly known as Kentucky wisteria, and sometimes simply as native or American wisteria.
How is this different from the wisteria that takes over yards?
Those aggressive vines are usually Japanese or Chinese wisteria. As a native species, Kentucky wisteria is far less rampant, flowers at a younger age, and is much easier to keep in bounds — see more options among our flowering vines and climbing plants.
Is Kentucky wisteria native to North America?
It is nativar cultivated from wisteria native to the south-central and southeastern United States, which is part of why it behaves so much better in the garden than imported species. Browse more in our collection of native plants.
When will it start blooming?
Native wisterias typically begin flowering at a younger age than Asian types. With full sun, a sturdy support, and proper summer and winter pruning, you can expect dependable early-summer bloom once the vine is established.
