Swamp wisteria

Hello, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. Edward Wimberly, to whom I was married, loved wistaria and had a non-native growing on our shed. We did agree to cut it back after blooming so it wouldn’t’ set seeds. I have a native wistaria, Wisteria frutescens, growing in our yard now and I’m going to be honest and say that it isn’t as showy as its invasive cousins and blooms later. One of its common names is swamp wisteria and it likes wet feet. I’ve only come across it once on field trips and walks. It does climb spectacularly and makes quite a show. You can easily get this plant these days, plant it in a moist spot or be sure to water it if we have a drought. Here’s another plus – it’s a larval food source for several butterflies.