The Dangers of Planting Chinese Wisteria

Hello, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. Agriculture is the most profitable industry in South Carolina. Timber production leads the list – trees are a crop. But people still to this day continue planting the horrifically invasive Chinese wisteria. Unlike another invasive, English ivy, that often climbs trees, wisteria kills trees as its stout woody vine girdles them. Long shoots reach the tops of other trees, excluding light, and making a purple, sweet-smelling nightmare, shading out other plants below. We used to take mayonnaise jars out to vines near us to catch bumble bees. But there’s plenty of other plant material, including native wisteria, for pollinators – if you have Chinese wisteria, please be a steward of the environment and eliminate it. Search "invasive species of South Carolina, South Carolina Forestry Commission," for ways to tackle this vine.