Summer Flowering Wisteria (syn. Evergreen Wisteria). The taxonomy police are at it again. This plant was formerly in the genus Milletia, but now it has been change to Wisteriopsis. Surprise, surprise!!! The common name "Evergreen Wisteria" is really a misnomer. This plant is deciduous in most areas from zone 9 and further north. In zone 10, it is probably evergreen. It is a twining vine with deep, glossy green, compound, wisteria-like leaves. It flowers throughout the summer with terminal and lateral panicles of vibrant purple, fragrant, wisteria-like flowers, making it one of the better summer-flowering vines. Probably the reason this vine is not better known in the South, is that few customers visit their botanical gardens or nurseries during the oppressive heat and humidity when this species is in full flower. We are constantly having nurserymen and customers bring this plant in for identification. My suspicions are that the more gardeners see it in the landscape, the more it will be requested. A landscaper from Hilton Head, SC said that one had begun to flower there, so he had had several requests for this selection. He initially ordered 10, but called back and upped his number to 30. After picking them up, he called back three days later to say that he had sold all thirty and wanted more. It is quite vigorous and can reach 20-30', so one should give it plenty of space when growing it, but it always attracts attention because it is so little known. Being in the legume family, it requires very little fertilization. It is native to southern China and Taiwan.
Zones 7-10
