Wisteria Not Blooming? Juvenile Phase and Training Tips

Q: I have a 3-5 year old wisteria that has never bloomed. What's wrong? It flourishes with leaves and branches everywhere.

A: My bet: the wisteria is still in its juvenile growth phase. Most vines and trees spend years growing rapidly before having energy for specialized flower buds. Wisteria spends early years growing toward the sun. Only when assured of plenty of solar energy does it make purple flower bouquets.

Another cause: vine still growing vertically. The tip of every broad-leafed plant branch has a bud producing hormones controlling lower growth. Upright branches continue rapid growth. Horizontal branch tips grow slowly, allowing nearby buds to develop into reproductive tissue. That's why apple growers remove vertical sprouts each winter—those branches don't make apples!

Train wisteria horizontally on an arbor, don't fertilize, prune only in summer (not winter), and you'll have done all you can to make it bloom.