Wisteria frutescens 'Nivea'

American wisteria ‘Nivea’

Wisteria frutescens ‘Nivea’ is a frost-hardy American climber with fragrant white flowers and a yellow eye. The flowers appear in dense, raceme-like clusters about 10 cm long, mainly in May and June, followed by a second flush of flowers in summer. The first flowers appear after 2–3 years.

The pinnate leaves are bright green in summer and turn yellow in autumn. ‘Nivea’ grows strongly, reaches heights of 5–6 m and twines its shoots around climbing supports. It prefers sunny sites on slightly moist, well-drained, moderately nutrient-rich and slightly acidic soils. Sturdy supports such as pergolas, arbours or wall structures are recommended.

The plant is easy to care for: regular pruning above the 4th leaf in summer and repeated pruning in spring above the second or third bud promote richer flowering. Ideally plant in a 40 x 40 x 40 cm pit with well-rotted compost or manure and a mulch cover. Hardy in zone 5–9.

‘Nivea’ is excellent for small gardens, can be trained as a standard and is ideal for greening pergolas, arbours and walls.