After seeing all the stuff growing in trees around the Triangle, I
thought it might be nice to let a plant or two climb the 6x6 swing frame
we inherited from the previous owners, as it's not all that attractive.
But it's in the partial shade of a dogwood and a sweet gum, and I've
heard wisteria needs full sun. What are my chances?

MAC

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Mac, DO NOT plant wisteria. It does not care
about sun, shade, water, drought, or that you want it to stay on
a "swing frame." All it wants to grow all day every day until it
covers every tree and shrub in your yard. If you still think you
may want it, ask 3 people who have it growing in their yard if
they would plant it again. Hope that'll cure you.
Jeny

"MAC" wrote in message
...
| After seeing all the stuff growing in trees around the
Triangle, I
| thought it might be nice to let a plant or two climb the 6x6
swing frame
| we inherited from the previous owners, as it's not all that
attractive.
| But it's in the partial shade of a dogwood and a sweet gum, and
I've
| heard wisteria needs full sun. What are my chances?
|
| MAC
|

Ummm, I ADORE wisteria, but in case I ever want to sell this house, since so
many people DO hate the invasiveness of wisteria, my compromise is to grow
it in big pots (I have a big blue on one side of the carport and a smaller
white on the other side). Then if I ever move, I can take it with me, I am
very attached to mine.

Why not get two huge attractive pots and plant wisteria in them, one on each
side of the swing frame? Just never EVER let the vines touch the ground if
you don't want it to spread! (You might want to use saucers ubder the pots
to keep the roots from spreading too.)

It blooms best in full sun, but bright shade makes it happy too. It may not
bloom the first year after transplanting, so be patient. It makes nice
shade in summer. A swing frame sounds like a lovely place for it.

And BTW, I know several places where people have a single wisteria that they
have trained as a standard or tree (they simply mow around it so runners
don't get started) and there is a big old 2-story white house on Salem St in
Apex at the edge of downtown that has one of those arched old-fashioned
wooden trellis thingies with old wisteria vines on it. Truly lovely.

I used to drive around spotting the wild-growing wisteria with the best
color, as there is a lot of variation in color.

There is about an acre of wisteria on Gardner Rd off Martha's Chapel Rd (off
751) that has unusual, smaller bunches of flowers in a nice deep blue, that
would be well suited for something the size of a swing frame. Nobody lives
there, so nobody would care if you went there and dug up some well rooted
pieces. (But wear tick spray, those woods are FULL of ticks!!!)

-- laurie brooke adams (Mother Mastiff) mastiffs at mindspring dot-com
***If a DOG could choose whether to just be beautiful, or to be sound
and healthy TOO, what do YOU think the dog would choose?***
(C) 2003 My words are my own. If you want to use them, ASK ME FIRST.

Exchequer Leghorns, Welsummers, several lines of Marans, some with feather
legs
Chicks only, accepting reservations now for 2003
"Raleighgirl" wrote in message
om...
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Mac, DO NOT plant wisteria. It does not care
about sun, shade, water, drought, or that you want it to stay on
a "swing frame." All it wants to grow all day every day until it
covers every tree and shrub in your yard. If you still think you
may want it, ask 3 people who have it growing in their yard if
they would plant it again. Hope that'll cure you.
Jeny

"MAC" wrote in message
...
| After seeing all the stuff growing in trees around the
Triangle, I
| thought it might be nice to let a plant or two climb the 6x6
swing frame
| we inherited from the previous owners, as it's not all that
attractive.
| But it's in the partial shade of a dogwood and a sweet gum, and
I've
| heard wisteria needs full sun. What are my chances?
|
| MAC
|

I applaud your effort ( shame on those who don't appreciate this plant).
Though it can be invasive, it makes a spectacular show.
Here's a url for mine. http://www.irrpro.com/page8.html It's in full sun.
There was a volunteer purple plum that was growing near the wisteria and it
eventually forced me to move the plum to another location.

--
Baine

"MAC" wrote in message
...
After seeing all the stuff growing in trees around the Triangle, I
thought it might be nice to let a plant or two climb the 6x6 swing frame
we inherited from the previous owners, as it's not all that attractive.
But it's in the partial shade of a dogwood and a sweet gum, and I've
heard wisteria needs full sun. What are my chances?

MAC

Baine Carruthers wrote:

I applaud your effort ( shame on those who don't appreciate this plant).
Though it can be invasive, it makes a spectacular show.
Here's a url for mine. http://www.irrpro.com/page8.html It's in full sun.
There was a volunteer purple plum that was growing near the wisteria and it
eventually forced me to move the plum to another location.

So the secret it to plant it out in the open where you can use a
combination of mechanical and chemical attacks to keep it under
control. BTW, was that the remains of your house that's holding it up?
:-)

Thanks for all your replies. The pot idea sounds good, since it'll be
right next to a garden bed and I sure don't want it spreading in there.
Anyone know where I can get one of the blue varieties?

MAC

"MAC" wrote in message
...
After seeing all the stuff growing in trees around the Triangle, I
thought it might be nice to let a plant or two climb the 6x6 swing frame
we inherited from the previous owners, as it's not all that attractive.
But it's in the partial shade of a dogwood and a sweet gum, and I've
heard wisteria needs full sun. What are my chances?

MAC


http://www.rippingale.com/~meacham/wisfaq.html

is a FAQ about growing wisteria as a garden plant. Here in NC, most
gardeners tend to think of wisteria as an invasive, foreign weed, much like
kudzu. The kind you see growing on roadsides tends to take over a tree, use
it for support, then when the tree dies, the wisteria is now strong enough
to stand on its own. My understanding is that there are less invasive
cultivars that can be purchased for gardens. It is beautiful but dangerous
and requires a lot of pruning and maintenance to make sure it doesn't get
out of control.

Although I mostly agree with Laurie's post (in its entirety below), I *must*
disagree with this part:

And BTW, I know several places where people have a single wisteria that
they
have trained as a standard or tree (they simply mow around it so runners
don't get started)

In my experience, at least, the runners aren't harmed a bit by the lawn
mower -- they're too busy "snaking" their way into the yard well
underneath the mower. I can vouch for this, as earlier today, I was mowing
the yard with the mower set really low (to give the Centipede grass an
advantage over the weeds) -- while the Wisteria trimmings that I thought I
picked up weeks ago got in the way of the mower, the new runners were not
bothered in the least! sigh.....

BTW, it turns out that woodchucks like Wisteria flowers -- I never would
have believed it if I hadn't seen the critter *in* the Wisteria tree!
Admittedly, it was not much of a climb, as it's a "bushy" Wisteria, but
still, the woodchuck was a good 18" off the ground!!!

Anne Lurie
NE Raleigh

"laurie (Mother Mastiff)" wrote in message
...
Ummm, I ADORE wisteria, but in case I ever want to sell this house, since
so
many people DO hate the invasiveness of wisteria, my compromise is to grow
it in big pots (I have a big blue on one side of the carport and a smaller
white on the other side). Then if I ever move, I can take it with me, I
am
very attached to mine.

Why not get two huge attractive pots and plant wisteria in them, one on
each
side of the swing frame? Just never EVER let the vines touch the ground
if
you don't want it to spread! (You might want to use saucers ubder the
pots
to keep the roots from spreading too.)

It blooms best in full sun, but bright shade makes it happy too. It may
not
bloom the first year after transplanting, so be patient. It makes nice
shade in summer. A swing frame sounds like a lovely place for it.

And BTW, I know several places where people have a single wisteria that
they
have trained as a standard or tree (they simply mow around it so runners
don't get started) and there is a big old 2-story white house on Salem St
in
Apex at the edge of downtown that has one of those arched old-fashioned
wooden trellis thingies with old wisteria vines on it. Truly lovely.

I used to drive around spotting the wild-growing wisteria with the best
color, as there is a lot of variation in color.

There is about an acre of wisteria on Gardner Rd off Martha's Chapel Rd
(off
751) that has unusual, smaller bunches of flowers in a nice deep blue,
that
would be well suited for something the size of a swing frame. Nobody
lives
there, so nobody would care if you went there and dug up some well rooted
pieces. (But wear tick spray, those woods are FULL of ticks!!!)

-- laurie brooke adams (Mother Mastiff) mastiffs at mindspring dot-com
***If a DOG could choose whether to just be beautiful, or to be sound
and healthy TOO, what do YOU think the dog would choose?***
(C) 2003 My words are my own. If you want to use them, ASK ME FIRST.

Exchequer Leghorns, Welsummers, several lines of Marans, some with feather
legs
Chicks only, accepting reservations now for 2003
"Raleighgirl" wrote in message
om...
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Mac, DO NOT plant wisteria. It does not care
about sun, shade, water, drought, or that you want it to stay on
a "swing frame." All it wants to grow all day every day until it
covers every tree and shrub in your yard. If you still think you
may want it, ask 3 people who have it growing in their yard if
they would plant it again. Hope that'll cure you.
Jeny

"MAC" wrote in message
...
| After seeing all the stuff growing in trees around the
Triangle, I
| thought it might be nice to let a plant or two climb the 6x6
swing frame
| we inherited from the previous owners, as it's not all that
attractive.
| But it's in the partial shade of a dogwood and a sweet gum, and
I've
| heard wisteria needs full sun. What are my chances?
|
| MAC
|

I've read some of the other posts, especially about the standard shaped as a
single tree. Well, when we bought this house, we had one of those standard
wisteria trees and we pruned it to keep it in check. Then, there was this
weather event called Fran...a huge hickory crashed on the wisteria standard.
With all the debris we had to deal with (we lost about 60 big trees) we didn't
even think about the wisteria, especially since the standard was a goner.

Fast forward about five years...we now have wisteria throughout the woods,
scattered over a 100 foot area. Guess where it probably came from!

I would be very hesitant about planting wisteria. Of course, you can come over
and dig up all you want from our woods.

CG, I never have inspected underneath, there may be some sort of building
underneath.

For those of you into alternate pest controls, the jap. beetles and junebugs
seem to prefer the wisteria to my roses.

It also makes great shelter and nesting places for my guineas too.

--
Baine

In article , MAC wrote:
After seeing all the stuff growing in trees around the Triangle, I
thought it might be nice to let a plant or two climb the 6x6 swing frame
we inherited from the previous owners, as it's not all that attractive.
But it's in the partial shade of a dogwood and a sweet gum, and I've
heard wisteria needs full sun. What are my chances?

Wisteria is an invasive pest on the level of kudzu and fireants except
that it looks pretty. Give it to some neighbors about a mile or so
away.

--
Wes Dukes (wdukesNOatSPAMpoboxdotcom)

In article , Baine Carruthers wrote:
CG, I never have inspected underneath, there may be some sort of building
underneath.

For those of you into alternate pest controls, the jap. beetles and junebugs
seem to prefer the wisteria to my roses.

It also makes great shelter and nesting places for my guineas too.


Now if you have a big enough spread for guineas to wander then you have
enough for wysteria. My little .46 acre is not nearly enough.

--
Wes Dukes (wdukesNOatSPAMpoboxdotcom)

I don't know Wes, my neighbor has 200 acres of pasture and hardwoods & his
guineas stay at my place most of the year.

I still don't seem to have enough for them to completely stay put. I have
to raise a few guineas every year due to those drivers who refuse to adhere
to my "guinea xing" sign.

--
Baine

wrote in message
...
In article , Baine
Carruthers wrote:
CG, I never have inspected underneath, there may be some sort of
building
underneath.

For those of you into alternate pest controls, the jap. beetles and
junebugs
seem to prefer the wisteria to my roses.

It also makes great shelter and nesting places for my guineas too.


Now if you have a big enough spread for guineas to wander then you have
enough for wysteria. My little .46 acre is not nearly enough.

--
Wes Dukes (wdukesNOatSPAMpoboxdotcom)

"Raleighgirl" wrote in message . com...
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Mac, DO NOT plant wisteria. It does not care
about sun, shade, water, drought, or that you want it to stay on
a "swing frame." All it wants to grow all day every day until it
covers every tree and shrub in your yard. If you still think you
may want it, ask 3 people who have it growing in their yard if
they would plant it again. Hope that'll cure you.
Jeny

"MAC" wrote in message
...
| After seeing all the stuff growing in trees around the
Triangle, I
| thought it might be nice to let a plant or two climb the 6x6
swing frame
| we inherited from the previous owners, as it's not all that
attractive.
| But it's in the partial shade of a dogwood and a sweet gum, and
I've
| heard wisteria needs full sun. What are my chances?
|
| MAC
|

Fooey on you! Anyone who doesn't fall in love with the fleeting
"spang-dangles" put forth by the wisteria vine every spring is feeble
indeed.

You might not want this puple elephant in your yard, but you cannot
dismiss its beauty.

mgeost writes:

"Raleighgirl" wrote in message
. com...
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Mac, DO NOT plant wisteria. It does not care
about sun, shade, water, drought, or that you want it to stay on
a "swing frame." All it wants to grow all day every day until it
covers every tree and shrub in your yard. If you still think you
may want it, ask 3 people who have it growing in their yard if
they would plant it again. Hope that'll cure you.
Jeny

Fooey on you! Anyone who doesn't fall in love with the fleeting
"spang-dangles" put forth by the wisteria vine every spring is feeble
indeed.

You might not want this puple elephant in your yard, but you cannot
dismiss its beauty.

I agree. I've got two lovely wisteria tree/bushes (self standing). A few
times a year I have to trim the runners from getting too far, but it's a
fair price to pay for a mound of sweet smelling purple flowers every
spring.


Ryan