Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Fabales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Wisteria sinensis
FAMILY
Fabaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Much of the invasive Wisteria in southeastern US involves complex hybrids and backcrosses involving W. floribunda and W. sinensis. Identification of the two alien species and their hybrids is uncertain. Read more in Weakley's Flora.
You may also want to check Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of North Carolina
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
Learn more about Chinese Wisteria from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Wisteria sinensis
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 11 (2023)
Wisteria sinensis
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Wisteria sinensis
SYNONYMOUS WITH Vascular flora of Illinois (Mohlenbrock, 2014)
Rehsonia sinensis
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Wisteria sinensis
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-31-002:
Wisteria sinensis FAMILY Fabaceae
COMMON NAME:
Chinese Wisteria
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
JK Marlow jkm120326_059
March Greenwood County SC
Much of the invasive Wisteria in southeastern US involves complex hybrids, per Weakley's Flora (2020).
)
JK Marlow jkm120326_076
March Greenwood County SC
Raceme to 33cm long; the 25-95 flowers opening nearly simultaneously, per Weakley's Flora (2020).
COMPARE
flowers of Wisteria species
)
JK Marlow jkm120326_087
March Greenwood County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm120326_092
March Greenwood County SC
Standard 20-23.5mm long, 21-23mm wide, per Weakley's Flora (2020).
)
JK Marlow jkm0504f_21
April McCormick County SC
Roadside
Identification of W. floribunda & W. sinensis and their hybrids is uncertain, per Weakley's Flora (2020).
)
JK Marlow jkm0504f_22
April Greenwood County SC
Roadside
)
JK Marlow jkm190406_7084
April Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm190406_7085
April Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow s040417_a
April Greenville County SC
Leaflets (7)9-11(13) per leaf, per Weakley's Flora (2020).
COMPARE
leaves of Peppervine, Trumpet-creeper and Wisteria
)
JK Marlow jkm110518_571
May Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm0507p_11
July Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm210819_2911
August Greenville County SC
Legume 10-15cm long and densely velvety pubescent, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Wisteria sinensis
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Wisteria sinensis
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 11
Wisteria sinensis
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Wisteria sinensis
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Vascular flora of Illinois (Mohlenbrock, 2014)
Rehsonia sinensis
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Wisteria sinensis
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-31-002:
Wisteria sinensis
FAMILY
Fabaceae
1675
Woody vine
Perennial
Habitat: Commonly cultivated, escaped to a wide diversity of urban, suburban, and rural forests and woodlands, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: China
Common (uncommon to rare in Mountains)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
This plant is causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:
- Alabama Invasive Plant Council, 2012
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden
- Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2006
- Kentucky Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2013
- NC Botanical Garden
- NC Department of Transportation
- SC Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2014
- SC Native Plant Society
- Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2009
- US Fish & Wildlife Service
- US Forest Service Southern Research Station
- Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, 2014
LEAVES:
Deciduous
Odd-pinnately compound: (7)9-11(13) leaflets
Mostly alternate
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Blue-violet
(rarely white)
Bilaterally symmetrical
2-lipped campanulate calyx
5-parted papilionaceous corolla
10 stamens, diadelphous, 9 and 1
Superior ovary
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Legume
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005) p302
- Invasive Plants, Guide to Identification, Impacts and Control (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2007) p221
- A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests (Miller, Chambliss, & Lowenstein, 2010) p072
- Invasive Exotic Plants of North Carolina (Smith, 2008) p092
- Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast (Foote & Jones, 1989) p081
- Wildflowers of the Carolina Lowcountry (Porcher, 1995) p201
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p210
- Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005) p145
- Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005) p182
- Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance) p08
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p381
- Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011) p262
- Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011) p338
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".