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Wisteria sinensis

Chinese Wisteria · Chinese-glycine

Family FabaceaeGenus Wisteria

Long white racemes hanging among fresh green leaves
FlowerRedCoatCC BY-SA 2.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Safety

Toxicity
Poisonous to humans. All, flowers, seeds, leaves. Wistarine. Stated for Wisteria spp.Plants Poisonous to Livestock
Toxicity
Low severity. All parts. Lectin, wisterin glycoside.Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

The plant

Habit
VinePlant Finder
Habit
lianaPlants of the World Online
Height
10-25 ft3-7.6 mPlant Finder
Spread
4-8 ft1.2-2.4 mPlant Finder
Flower
Showy; blue violetPlant Finder
Blooms
May to JunePlant Finder
Native range
ChinaPlant Finder
Hardiness zones
5-8Plant Finder
Note
Deno grew three forms, the alba among them; his ranges are the spread between those forms.Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed.

Growing conditions

Sun
Full sunPlant Finder
Soil
Clay, Loam (Silt), SandExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0), Alkaline (>8.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Moisture
Good Drainage, MoistExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Watering
MediumPlant Finder

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plant Finder — Missouri Botanical Garden; Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — NC State Extension; Plants Poisonous to Livestock — Cornell University Department of Animal Science; Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno.

Worth knowing

  • Unknown in the West until 1816, when East India Company agents in China sent cuttings to England. A specimen in Sierra Madre, California, planted in 1892, is Guinness's largest blossoming plant. Wikipedia: Wisteria sinensis

This source reports 4 treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around September 17, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on September 16, 2026.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 180 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

about 6 months from start to sowing. Then 21 days to germinate.

100% germination — first up on day 4, then 6% a day.

Every seed. First up on the fourth day, then 6% of the packet a day. Deno stored at 70 or at 40 and got the same result.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, WisteriaPublic domain
Show the original text
Wisteria (Fabiaceae). W. sinensis germ. under all treatments. Fresh seed germ. 70(90-100%, ind. t 5-8 d, 8-17%/d) and 40(100%, ind. t 2-4 d, 1.3-1.9%/d). The range of values given reflects the fact that three forms of this species were studied including the alba form, and there was some variation in the ind. t and rates. Seed DS 6 m at 70 or 40 germ. 70(100%, i. t 4 d, 6%/d) and 40(100% in 1-9 w).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Wisteria. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around August 6, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on August 5, 2026.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 180 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Temperature: 40°F 4°C

    100%, over 1-9 weeks -- it germinates in the cold.

about 6 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 63 days.

100% germination in 7–63 days.

Every seed in the cold as well, over one to nine weeks. Deno stored at 70 or at 40 and got the same result.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, WisteriaPublic domain
Show the original text
Wisteria (Fabiaceae). W. sinensis germ. under all treatments. Fresh seed germ. 70(90-100%, ind. t 5-8 d, 8-17%/d) and 40(100%, ind. t 2-4 d, 1.3-1.9%/d). The range of values given reflects the fact that three forms of this species were studied including the alba form, and there was some variation in the ind. t and rates. Seed DS 6 m at 70 or 40 germ. 70(100%, i. t 4 d, 6%/d) and 40(100% in 1-9 w).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Wisteria. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 3

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 15, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Temperature: 40°F 4°C

    It germinates in the cold.

Germination happens during step 1; time not stated, 21 days assumed.

100% germination.

Every seed in the cold too: first up on days 2 to 4, then 1.3-1.9% a day. Slower than 70, and just as complete.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, WisteriaPublic domain
Show the original text
Wisteria (Fabiaceae). W. sinensis germ. under all treatments. Fresh seed germ. 70(90-100%, ind. t 5-8 d, 8-17%/d) and 40(100%, ind. t 2-4 d, 1.3-1.9%/d). The range of values given reflects the fact that three forms of this species were studied including the alba form, and there was some variation in the ind. t and rates. Seed DS 6 m at 70 or 40 germ. 70(100%, i. t 4 d, 6%/d) and 40(100% in 1-9 w).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Wisteria. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 4

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 15, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

No stated waiting before sowing. Germination time not stated; 21 days assumed.

90% germination.

90-100% from fresh seed: first up on days 5 to 8, then 8-17% of the packet a day. The spread is between Deno's three forms.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, WisteriaPublic domain
Show the original text
Wisteria (Fabiaceae). W. sinensis germ. under all treatments. Fresh seed germ. 70(90-100%, ind. t 5-8 d, 8-17%/d) and 40(100%, ind. t 2-4 d, 1.3-1.9%/d). The range of values given reflects the fact that three forms of this species were studied including the alba form, and there was some variation in the ind. t and rates. Seed DS 6 m at 70 or 40 germ. 70(100%, i. t 4 d, 6%/d) and 40(100% in 1-9 w).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Wisteria. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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