
Can Wisteria be Grown as a Bonsai?
Bonsai is a Japanese word which means “Tray Planting.” It refers to the Japanese art of growing plants in pots. It is a process where plants are grown in shallow pots, adhering to Japanese tradition and principles. Unlike other plants, bonsai is now cultivated for food or medicine. The plant is pruned on a regular basis to achieve and maintain the intended shape. Normally, a bonsai is a décor plant and carries a legacy for generations.
Wisteria is a popular flower that blooms in spring. It has many variants with different colors and fragrances. Are you a fan of Wisteria? Did you ever wonder, can Wisteria be grown as a bonsai? The answer is yes; it is possible to grow Wisteria as a bonsai. Let’s dive deep into this topic and see how to achieve it.
What are the Best Wisterias for Bonsai?
All of the variants of Wisteria are not suitable for bonsai. Among various cultivars, the Chinese and Japanese Wisterias are the best Wisteria for bonsai. You must select a healthy young plant with a thick trunk and good root development.
The Japanese Wisteria has thick branches and is larger in size with more vibrant colors of flowers compared to the Japanese variant. Japanese Wisterias have delicate leaves and branches. Besides, the Japanese Wisteria blooms in a deep purple color with 4-18 flower clusters. On the other hand, Chinese Wisteria has longer flower clusters containing 20-30 flowers. You can choose any one of these for bonsai.
How to Bonsai a Wisteria?
Different plants have different processes to bonsai them. As Wisteria is a delicate plant, you have to be very careful in the process. Here is a step-by-step guide to the process.
Obtain The Plant
There are three ways to get the plant for bonsai.
Growing from Seeds
This is a long process to bonsai a Wisteria plant. A plant grown from seed can take around 12 to 15 years to bloom. You have to gather the seeds in the Fall and plant them. Keep the temperature around 18 °C. Germination can take from 30 to even 60 days.
Growing from Cuttings
You have to take a softwood cutting in early summer or late spring to grow the plant from cuttings. The cutting will start rooting in 4-6 weeks. You must plant the cutting in a large pot or in the ground. It will allow the roots to expand, and the plant will gain a thick trunk.
Buying a Healthy Plant
You can always buy a plant for bonsai from plant nurseries. Make sure to buy a healthy young plant with a thick trunk. The plant must have a good plant development. A plant with a straight trunk and evenly distributed branches will be the best choice.
Structural Pruning
Always use a sharp and clean pruning share for pruning the tree. Remove any dead, damaged, or diseased branches. You have to trim the plant on a routine basis to give the plant your desired shape. Take your time while deciding the shape of your bonsai. It will help you avoid mistakes.
Besides, it will also help you to decide the final shape of the Wisteria bonsai. Once the shape comes out, you can maintain it by pruning accordingly.
Shape the Trunk
The trunk of a Wisteria bonsai should be thick and gnarled, which looks old and weathered. You can bend the trunk carefully with wires to give it your desired shape. Make sure you don’t bend the trunk too much at once, damaging the barks and roots.
Shaping the trunk of a Wisteria can be a complicated task and takes a lot of patience. Don’t rush the process; rather, make small adjustments at a time. It will bring you the perfect desired shape of your Wisteria trunk.
Repot the Wisteria
Use a bonsai pot that is a little bigger than the rootballs to repot the plant. Mix clay, sand, and peat moss together in the new soil. Your plant will need a soil mixture that is well-drained and has plenty of organic matter. After that, you can repot your plant once every 2-5 years.
Remember, the pot is also a part of the art of bonsai. So, be careful while choosing a pot for your Wisteria bonsai. Make sure that it complements the shape and size of your plant.
Train Branches
You can train the branches using a wire to achieve the desired shape of your bonsai. As mentioned earlier, the branches of a Wisteria are delicate and fragile. So don’t overuse wires to shape the branches. Otherwise, you will end up damaging the branches of the plant.
There are 2 crucial facts you have to know while training and shaping your plant.
- The shaping of Wisteria bonsai is mainly done using pruning rather than wire training.
- The branches of Wisteria can snap without any indication. So, if you must use wires to shape the plant, be very careful and take it slow.
Water and Fertilizer
Like all other plants, Wisteria needs water and fertilizer to reach its highest potential. With proper water and fertilizer, your plant will thrive for a long time. Wisteria is sensitive to water. It needs moist soil, but there should be no waterlogging. You have to keep the soil drained and moist. Waterlogging for even an hour can lead to root rotting and death of your plant.
Fertilizing the soil is also very important. Use a balanced fertilizer and always keep checking for pests and diseases.
Final Thoughts
As a fragile plant, making a bonsai of Wisteria is a challenging task. It takes a lot of time, patience, and careful observation. Therefore, making a Wisteria bonsai is not recommended for beginners. You need bonsai experience and previous knowledge to successfully bonsai a Wisteria. It may be a hard task for beginners, but it is not impossible. So don’t be discouraged. Following the provided steps will help you achieve your Wisteria bonsai goal.
FAQs
What does Wisteria smell like?
The fragrance of Wisteria depends on the variant. Some of them have a musky scent, and some variants have a strong, sweet scent.
How long does Wisteria live?
The average age of a healthy Wisteria is 50 years. But some can surpass this if properly cared for. There are some Wisteria in Japan which is 150 years old and doing just fine now.
Is Wisteria poisonous?
Yes, Wisteria has two toxic properties: Lectin and Wisterin. There are even reports of death of small animals and children due to the consumption of Wisteria.