Native Plants

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Saturday - July 11, 2009

From: Flower Mound, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Diseases and Disorders
Title: Wisteria with root rot in Flower Mound, TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

I have a wisteria that is showing rot root from an exposed wound on the side of the base. Would like to save the tree. What can I do to fix the problem.

ANSWER:

While Wisteria frutescens (American wisteria) is native to Texas, this USDA Plant Profile does not show it growing in North Central Texas. We excerpted this comment from the Ohio State University Extension website (all of which we suggest you read) Growing Wisteria:

"Two species of wisteria are typically grown in home gardens: Wisteria sinensis or Chinese wisteria, and Wisteria floribunda or Japanese wisteria. The Chinese wisteria is the more popular plant due to its flowering habit. It grows to a height of 25 feet or more and has flower clusters six inches to a foot in length, which open before the foliage has expanded. Individual flowers in the clusters open all at once for a very showy display. Flowers are violet-blue and slightly fragrant. Plants are most showy from early to mid-May in most seasons. There is also a white flowering form of Chinese wisteria, W. sinensis 'Alba,' which is very fragrant."

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is dedicated to the care, protection and propagation of plants native not only to North America but to the area in which the plant is being grown. Very often problems with plants have to do with the fact that the plants are being grown in the wrong place, under conditions in which they cannot thrive.

This website from Washington State University Cooperative Extension deals with Armillaria or Shoestring Root Rot, to which wisteria is known to be very susceptible.