Author: Admin2

We have previously featured some of the temperate and cool climate plants that can successfully be grown on the mountain top at Paluma village. One such success story is Colwyn Campbell’s Wisteria which has burst into full flower with the advent of Spring.

Colwyn planted her Wisteria about six years ago. It was a small plant produced from a cutting grown by Len Cook. Colwyn says that for several years the plant did very little and struggled to grow. Then about three years ago it started to gain vigour and to produce healthy foliage. Colwyn trained it to grow on a wire trellis along one side of her carport. When it flowered for the first time about three years ago, the blooms were rather small and few in number. Last year it produced a few more blooms.

This Spring the Wisteria is most impressive with a mass of lavender to violet coloured flowers in long pendulous sprays. The flowers have a strong sweet perfume and you can literally smell the Wisteria in the air as you walk along Mt Spec Road towards Colwyn’s house.

Most Wisteria varieties are native to Japan and China. Wisteria’s are a deciduous woody climber and can be vigorous if not kept pruned. They are adaptable to many climates and soil types, but they do not like to be waterlogged. They prefer to grow in full sun and they require protection from strong winds. The flowers appear on the bare wood of the plant and after flowering the new light-green foliage appears. Some parts of the Wisteria plant are considered toxic as they contain saponins. They should not be ingested and if handled, it’s a good idea to wash your hands thoroughly.

Text & Photos by Michele Bird