A Wisteria Story That Has Nothing To Do With Desperate Housewives
OK, Nancy writes a lot about birds, so I’m going to write about something birds sit on. (That’s right: sit.) A beautiful FrontBurnervian advises that wisteria is growing like crazy in Dallas these days (see photo), and that people all over town are probably noticing this and will be clamoring to share their wisteria stories. So, people, how about it: Where is your favorite wisteria growing?!
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I don’t have picture, but across from the Aerobics Center, on Preston Road, is a vine that wraps through the trees probably 4 stories high.
Another, I saw once on a home tour, had been trained to swag from the gutter on the side of the house.
It’s all over Little Forest Hills. Some of it is wildly growing through some of the Photinia that acts as a border between some of the homes in Casa Linda,too. This is good, b/c Photinia is rather boring and, well everywhere. So to see the grape-like Wisteria blooms peeking through the bland leaves is quite a treat. For those looking to plant Wisteria now, ‘Amethyst Falls’ is lovely, fragrant and blooms longer than the regular Wisteria (but the blooms are not quite as large). So, there you go!
I just cut mine down after it destroyed my arbor and began to take over my house. It was only ten years old, but the trunks were a foot across. Beautiful, but a pain in the a$$. Kudzu would have been easier to control.
Kudzu and Wisteria are both plants from hell!
Avoid at all costs!!!
Are you noses dead?
Wisteria is a gift of the Fragrance God.
I mean, of course, “your noses.” I dropped the “rrrrrrrrrr.”
Wisteria is one of the most beautiful flowering plants one can have in a yard–for the forty five minutes that they are actually in bloom. The rest of the time, they’re an invasive, destructive, unappealing tangle of green (or brown, in winter).
My favorite patch is over the bridge on Armstrong, just east of Preston, in Highland Park.
Something that has purple blooms, is as pretty, smells just as wonderful and is not invasive — Texas Mountain Laurel.
I liken the fragrance to grape koolaid — perfumes your whole yard.
It is also in bloom now — Shrub size to small tree size.
Wisteria twines around support vegetation eventually killing it. There are shrub versions that make nice specimen plants if neatly trimmed. You might want to be careful when you trim if you want blooms, though. It does hold some value for what I call guerrila landscaping. Plant it where it will climb into a difficult neighbor’s yard. Its not nearly as much fun as scattering grassbur seeds though.
Good suggestion on the Tx Mtn Laurel, it grows slowly so nursery specimens tend to be a mite pricey. Be gentle when planting, also.
My favorite wisteria cascade is on the ruins at the Forum in Rome…if it’s still growing there…
KATY TRAIL!!! Just past Blackburn, heading North…along the fence line on the left, masking the multi-million dollar Turtle Creek homes.