Landscape Plants

Ten species (W. floribunda and W. sinensis the most common commercially) of high climbing, twining, deciduous, woody vines, old stems are trunk-like.  Leaves alternate, pinnately compound (odd), apical leaflet often largest, leaflets entire, opposite, oblong-elliptic.  Flowers in pendulous terminal or axillary clusters (racemes), pea-like, large, white, purple, or lilac, two appendages at the base.  Fruit a pod, elongated, 2-valved, leathery.  Native to China, Japan, and eastern U.S., in the latter region are found W. frutescens and W. macrostachys.
Wisteria: after Caspar Wistar (1761-1818), professor of Anatomy, University of Pennsylvania.