Hi there, I am a new subscriber to this magazine, which I think is terrific, and I have a a question about wisteria. How shade tolerant is it? I have a shady spot near the back of my house that desparately needs a climber of some kind to fill it up. The two clematis I planted last year died. Once the plant gets to a height of three or four feet, it would enjoy full sun. Would a wisteria be hardy enough to do endure it's infancy in the shade? I live in zone 4-5, I'm a fairly experienced gardener and would be able to give it whatever care it needs. I have just avoided it in the past because I've heard it can be invasive.
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are the 2 varieties of wisteria, Chinese and Japanese. Either will grow in your neck of the woods, although it appears as if the Japanese may be more hardy. Both of them seem to like the same light conditions - tolerating full sun to partial shade. Their soil requirements are about the same, too. Both are fast-growing, and they say, need to be pruned to keep them in order. For further info check out these sites:
Chinese: http://www.treehelp.com/trees/wisteria/types-wisteria-sinensis.asp
Japanese:
http://www.treehelp.com/trees/wisteria/types-wisteria-floribunda.asp
A neighbour of mine has one here in Ottawa (zone 5) and has had it for about 6 years, growing over a doorway on a southern exposure with very dry conditions. It has a huge stem and he whacks it back regularly, but it has never bloomed. Don't know which kind it is. I wouldn't call it invasive. But it sure is a lot of fuss and bother for nothing, IMHO :D Might performa better in your area.