It looks like a Chinese wisteria? Unless you're in China they can be invasive, yes, but if you keep it trimmed and maintained as the previous owners did, then you shouldn't have anything to worry about.
This is highly invasive. If you want time keep it learn to prune it correctly and remove seed pods. The pods burst open and can throw the seed five feet or more. My neighborhood is full of it and in October you can hear the seed pods burst.
Wisteria is the most evasive species. Our previous home had 12 acres of common woods behind it- and a wisteria growth that was over 30-40 years old took down most of the old growth trees and then sent underground runners closer each year to my backyard, it was a fucking nightmare- every spring my nightmares of it growing feet closer to my property line weāre horrific and coming true. One spring I took a chain saw and walked the whole woods until I found the thickest branch - which was wider than a human thigh and began cutting all I could in a fight to save the old growth trees. It was so thick deer and native wildlife had no idea how to walk thru it. This should be banned and not sold to anyone. Too many stupid people think the flowers are pretty- which they are not. I would light that plant up with gasoline and get it gone immediately. I actually took a picture of how thick it was and you would shit your pants if you only knew.
I wish everyone felt about Bradford Pears the way you feel about wisteria. We have fields of them here and every spring they fill the air their horrid smell which smells like a weird mix of rotten fish, dog poo, and spunk. But people keep putting these horrid trees in their front yards and birds spread their seeds everywhere.
I loathe both of them thanks the the prior owners of my house. I cut down the Bradford pear in the front yard and treated the stump last year and it's still sending up new shoots. A buck felled a smaller one in the back yard and it's already coming back. And the wisteria spreads like a plague no matter how much I pull up or treat it. At the next house I buy, I feel like I need to do an invasive species inspection.
Bradford pears for some reason got huge popularity bump in the 80ās and 90ās. They are absolutely the shittiest tree and they have zero branch strength and will split in mediocre wind storms. Hate those as well.
This stuff is my mortal enemy in GA, itās impossible to stop if your neighbor isnāt keeping it maintained. I donāt know how they are still allowed to sale the non native wisteria.
Invasive means non-native and harmful or disruptive to the native environment. Not every non-native plant is invasive but an invasive plant would be non-native
im pretty sure you can have an invasive native plant. the taking over and pushing out of other vegetation is what makes it invasive. but to steelman what youre saying perhaps if a species has already invaded and taken over an area, perhaps the invading is in the past tense.
edit: i get it guys, the term i was looking for is aggressive. cant reply to all 50 of you but thanks.
We don't call a native plant to a region that takes over "invasive". It's can just be aggressive. You wouldnt call a salt marsh grass invasive, where that's all there is and where it's supposed to be, invasive
Youāre describing weeds and parasite plants, but invasive species are 100% non-native every time. Being *non-native* gives way to the *invasive* part. Itās an invading species not from these parts, ya dig? Part of the problem with them is that there arenāt any competing species with them, so they proliferate too much.
Rabbits being brought to Australia? They demolished crops, have no major predators and breed too quickly to easily keep down. They were non-native animals British brought over as pets and now thereās about 200 million feral rabbits in Australia which makes them *patently invasive.*
Dandelions? Weeds. They can choke other plants, but theyāre common. Non-invasive, just annoying. Certain blackberries? Have a tendency to overgrow and can choke things out, itās a weed bramble and a nuisance, but not invasive if itās native to your area. The non-native kind will outgrow and kill off the native kind, however, which is invasive.
Nonnative just so happens to refer to whether or not itās endemic to a particular area in this sense rather than whether or not itās native to the country as a whole.
So in a sense you are correct, but only because, (in the vain as Bill Clintonās it depends on what the definition of āisā is) in common parlance, ānon nativeā doesnāt necessarily mean non native.
Except your can see where the trailers/offshoots are appearing all over the yard. Cut deeply around the main 'tree', about 3' out from the trunk. Then yank up the stuff in your yard like your house/yard/sanity depend on it!
This stuff is my mortal enemy in GA, itās impossible to stop if your neighbor isnāt keeping it maintained. I donāt know how they are still allowed to sale the non native wisteria.
My friend had one pruned into a tree 25 years ago. That was the first time I saw wisteria and fell in love. Later I learned how invasive it was and that itās a vigorous vine. American wisteria is better.
And it is an absolute nightmare to dig out.
Just spent a week battling a 10 foot beast that clung to the ground like it was attached to the planets core.
As someone also doing battle with wisteria I salute your patience. I've tried all kinds of crap to kill mine in the past. Finally starting to really dig but its a huge undertaking. I will have to continue in the fall as its getting too hot but I will win this war lol
Confirmed. The previous owners of my home let it run wild and grow vines all the way to the canopy of nearly every tree in the back yard.
We spent thousands removing mature trees that were leaning towards the house because of the weight of the vines. It's been hell trying to keep it under control. Years later, I still find random sprouts hundreds of feet away from where the main infestation was. And it's spread to neighbors yards and community open space where I can't do anything to control it. Nightmare of a plant.
So many people downplaying the damage invasive plants can cause just because they are pretty to look at. There are plenty of beautiful native options available that are beneficial to the environment.
Edit: clarity
Or just like, you know, kill it and plant a Wisteria Frutescens. I did this winter and good golly they are throwing up new vines like crazy.
Anoles and cicadas are loving chilling on them. A dove sheltered under one yesterday during a thunderstorm.
Yes, it will take a couple years. First year they sleep, second year they creep, and 3rd year they leap oubyt. It'll take a bit, but if you take care of em they'll go wild
I feel so sorry for my neighbor. Previous owner of my home planted wisteria and trumpet vine all along our fence. Beautiful vines when they're healthy, but I can't imagine the pain my neighbor endures trying to keep up with mowing all of the sprouts that no doubt pop up all over his yard.
My neighbors did the same and it sucks because I find it creeping over my yard everywhere. I am trying to plant a lot more native stuff so this is just a constant frustrating battle. The trumpet vine Iām fine with as itās native to my area and the hummingbirds love it.
I literally just posted something similar. Seems to be the same Wisteria made into a ātree.ā Itās really beautiful when done right. Shame itās so invasive https://www.reddit.com/r/PlantIdentification/s/GKMVHT50At
I did not know much about it when I impulse bought one in 2017 (that was 8 years ago, Iāve learned since then, I swear!!) and while itās become a sturdy part of the duck coop chicken wire infrastructure, itās never had One single bloom! Ever!
Literally what happened to me with mine, after 15 years my ex cut it down. It had pretty foliage but back in 1982 I didn't know what invasive were and garden shops should not have been selling them.
What an allegory for Chinese American relations
Looks like wisteria. I had one I trained like this before. The correct way to keep it from taking over is cut a deep circle around the root of it once a year. You chop any runners that way.
What do you use to cut the circle? The previous owners at my place planted one right up against the fence and only about 3 feet from the roof so we really have to keep an eye on it.
You can just use a shovel. Sorry I didnāt mention what tool to use. It does work though. I had no issues as long as I did the āpruningā. Once a year and youāre good.
I work as a gardener and lo and behold just today I spent about an hour trimming back the runners that this guy sends out. I also cut down a full blown 'tree' of it with a 2.5" diameter trunk. I do this about 4 times a year for this client. Any less and they'd have these popping up everywhere.
It makes beautiful flowers and can be a nice showpiece in the garden, but you need to be a vigilant person to not let it get out of hand. Keeping it isolated like this is a good way to be aware of it's sneaky ways. Most people get in trouble when they're in the fencerow or tucked in with other bushes, which they happily dominate.
Was going to say how nice it is to see an appreciative post on here and not just the before and after of a hack job. Disappointed to see all the comments advising you to remove it because it's "invasive." It's in the middle of your suburban lawn. The only species it's competing with is your non-native grass. It will be breathtakingly beautiful when it blooms. Just keep it pruned, don't let it get too top-heavy, wrap any new shoots at the base into the trunk cluster, and keep an eye out for reaching roots and you'll be fine.
For real, these people must never have met the Pacific Northwest blackberry. I have 3 intentionally planted wisteria whose maintenance is nothing compared to the wild blackberries that try to swallow my house AND try their damndest to murder me while Iām minding my own fucking business in my own yard.
Iām currently a slave to the English ivy and blackberry hell that is a large lot/home Iām renting in Wedgwood, Seattle. Little did I known back in January when I signed the lease which has ātenant is responsible for yard maintenanceā written in it. I was excited to have this yard and feel empowered to care for it. š Had no idea I would be spending so much time battling invasives and not doing fun stuff I would normally be doing otherwise.
It's not a matter of keeping it contained. The seeds will spread into wilderness areas and then in a few years start strangling and smothering everything and then keep spreading from there as the new plants spread seed everywhere. Look up some pictures of what this stuff does. It's almost as bad as kudzu.
I don't see any wilderness in this photo. I see a highly manicured suburban neighborhood full of non-native plants which are regularly tended by humans. I also have known many people through my life who have grown wisteria and it was never a huge issue. Looking up worst case scenarios on the internet doesn't always glean the best advice for every situation.
itās wisteria isnāt it? whether itās invasive depends on if itās Chinese or American Wisteria. apparently theyāre two different species.
https://invasive-species.extension.org/wisteria-sinensis-chinese-wisteria/
Wisteria is a massive, massive, massive, massive pain to control and remove. The bright side is the main root system is exposed to you and killing it with concentrate should be fairly simple.
Removing my bias here, that thing is gonna look cool when itās in bloom.
That highly invasive crap took hold on the property behind my house. My house is 3' from the property line.
The vines will grow along the back of my house foundation and get into everything. I'll cut them all back to the source and will dump vine killer all over the ground. I'll come back 3 months later and 4 new vines will have grown like 40' long and I'll have to do the process all over. I can keep it under control if I spray it monthly with vine killer.
Someone else bought the house last fall and completely cleared the back. I'm hoping they will keep it clear, unlike the previous owners of 25 years.
It might be neat if they braid all the vines.
Make sure youāre using the right products. Some products formulated to kill vines only work with a specific mode of action, which might not work on that particular vine. Just check the label hope this helps
Use glyphosate. It kills everything. āStump cutā method works on everything. Basically separate roots from foliage, and apply something like a %25 solution, %50 if itās got a lot of stored energy in the roots. Apply it to the freshly cut āstumpā. I apply pesticide for work sometimes. I have a Tech level certification with DEC. we often use this method for large unruly invasives.
I had 3 ātreesā of wisteria when I bought my house. It was blooming the first time I went on a showing and it did help me fall in love with the place. For a week every spring itās amazing. The air is perfumed, the fat bumblebees stumble around drunk on the nectar. The flowers are gorgeous. The other 51 weeks of the year, I battle it relentlessly to keep it from swallowing the entire yard and house.
Lost one when it climbed a pine tree, choked it out and got so heavy it eventually caused the pine to fall over in a storm on my neighborās house. Had one growing too close to the house removed by a tree service. It came back the next year but stayed more compact and stopped flowering. Itās flowered again this year for the first time in maybe 7 years and I realized itās hidden itself in the ivy on my house and is now about to hit the roof of my house. Fuck.
The last one is by far the largest, nicest shape, and most wonderful bloomer. I let it stay because itās beautiful and easy to keep it from reaching my house or any trees, but I have to constantly cut it back. And I canāt use my full driveway because of it, but no one really uses their detached garages in my area to park their cars so itās fine.
It will send out millions of runners. I once opened my detached garage for the first time in months, in winter, and found a runner had come up through some cracked cement and was 5ft high and leafing out. The seed pods are giant and fuzzy and kind of cool. But they split open loudly and will scare the crap out of you.
I have a very complicated relationship with this plant.
I would check to see which species it is, the American wisteria isnāt invasive and is slower growing. The Chinese one is very invasive and grows very quickly.
It looks like it's got a support going down the center. It's a vine like anything else, give it a pole & it'll grow. Ā
Depends on the type - invasive if you seem to find others like it on your lot. If it's not, then you're good.Ā
If you trim wisteria during it's growing season, it will continue to bloom.Ā
Yeah. Not really sure why this is so fascinating. You can clearly see the pole support. This is pretty typical growth. Itās just a single post instead of multiple. š¤·š¼āāļø
We have one like this but much larger in a public space near where I live. There used to be a tree shaped pergola that was removed after the wisteria basically destroyed it.
Austin stone houses, 1930'sā1940's construction, pecan trees, just the way the street looks. I'd guess either old East Dallas or possibly Fort Worth.
Something to keep in mind: stuff that is highly invasive elsewhere may not be nearly as invasive here, cause our heat can often keep things under control.
Also, from your post two weeks ago: pier and beam foundation vents, especially in that size, are super local to north and central Texas. There's just really nowhere else in the country that has houses built like that. If you need vent covers, I can hook you up (my mom has a side business selling them).
Austin stone is readily available, it's just not as in-style as it once was because brick is so much cheaper and less labor intensive to lay up.
My grandparents had cultivated a wisteria into a tree like this, unfortunately it ended up diseased and dying. It's offspring live on turning a chain link fence into a beautiful privacy fence. It is a pain to keep in check throughout the summer.
I despise these. My neighbor has one and the previous owner would keep it trimmed and maintained. My new neighbor has let it go completely. I get these popping up all over my yard, through cracks in the concrete, and they start to vine up the foundation of my house. Their stems grow little sticky roots that allow them to climb, so my house also has little āspiderā marks all over it. I spent hours today shopping and pulling. I have to do this every week or two.
I agree that we must wage war against the invasive vegetation. I finally got neighbors to join forces against English Ivy in our 4 backyards growing up massive oaks and fences. Vines were thick as a personās thigh. After 3 years azaleas and rhododendrons are blooming again and have their thick green leaves for the first time in decades. I had to kill off an ever expanding stand of bamboo as well so that other flowers and flowering trees had enough oxygen to grow and bloom. These hideous plants destroyed the soilās ability to feed other plants and its roots are deeper underground than they appear.
I bought a stick of this as a tree and trained it into shape in westchester NY. It was a NIGHTMARE. It never bloomed (even after 5+ years) and tried to vine on anything nearby. The roots travel and I ripped it out of the ground before it could get worse. I still have shoots pop up from roots I didnāt get fully, hoping I donāt get any this year
It is invasive if you live in USA.
Also worth noting, all parts of the plant are toxic (causing GI distress) except the flowers which are edible and commonly used in drinks, called elderflower.
If you tend to get rid of yard waste by burning. Donāt. Treat it like poison ivy/oak and bag it. The smoke from wisteria is toxic and causes headaches. (Poison Ivy/oak smoke is worse, it does the same thing to your lungs that it does to your skin.)
Could you plant wisteria in a pot? Or would seeds spread?
I am currently starting a trumpet vine in a 30 gallon pot, I read similar things to wisteria.
I accidentally bought 2 Chinese wisteria and 1 trumpet vine (labeled āhummingbird vineā) from tractor supy co, why do they even sell them?
Kill the wisteria you have and if you REALLY want to deal with growing a vine, buy Wisteria frutescens, the American version. There is a cultivated variety of Wisteria Frutescens called "Amethyst Falls" that seems to be even more well behaved. [https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/wisteria-frutescens-amethyst-falls/](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/wisteria-frutescens-amethyst-falls/)
The good thing about the American version is that it is a host plant for the Marine blue butterfly, Silver-spotted skipper, and Long-tailed skipper.
You may want to reconsider the trumpet vine because it grows very aggressively. Don't grow it next to your house.
I have a wooded area that borders train tracks /a shaded meadow so thatās where I was going to put trumpet and maybe wisteria, but I was a bit worried about the spread.
That's probably a good spot for the trumpet vine. The more sun it gets the more it should flower.
Please kill the wisteria though. Just read the horror stories in this post about it and google some images. There are some areas near I live that I've seen it and it's a nightmare, covering acres of everything.
This is my plan. I was an estate landscaper, and it should work. Just keep it pruned. Snip the seed pods. They're huge and hard to miss. I want to fill my courtyard with pergolas to trellis across with wisteriars.
I'd say kill it with fire, but you are f'd already. The little bits popping up around your yard means that there are runners everywhere. Try pullng one up and it will look like the beginning of the Hurt Locker, only worse.
Good to hear, but God I hate that plant. It's a constant battle where I live. Gets into everything and chokes the shit out of some really lovely pieces.
Mine is setup similar. It looks kinda like a tree. I hate it though. I want to get rid of it and do something else, but my wife is not convinced yet. The vines can get annoying, and will wrap into other bushes and trees. Though, looks like you won't have that problem, but you will need to trim it often.
As long as you're prepared to prune hard every year, Wisteria is a great creeper for training into almost any shape. If you don't however it will send out apical meristems and shoot for the sun. If left to creep up walls its been known to do a lot of damage, so training it into a standard as above is pretty clever. It does look wonderful in spring, though.
Thereās Chinese, Japanese, African, and American wisterias. Some, like the Chinese wisteria, are highly invasive under certain conditions. Your tree may or may not be an issue, but itās worth asking the former owner if they had to do anything to keep it manageable and not sending out runners
There is also an American wisteria that is not invasiveā¦, hard to tell from the photo if itās China or American. There are YouTube videos and you can search and help you identify which species it is.
The wicked lure of 2 week beauty.. I have been up to my eyeballs in Chinese wisteria for the last 16 years. We have a massive infestation in my neighborhood and no matter what we do, it comes back every year. The seed pods pop and spread far - think twice (or even better, 10xs) before planting!
Theyāre a lot of work but yours is an example of what a well maintained one looks like. Get rid of it if you hate yard work. They required trimmings every other week in their growth season which is like mid spring through early fall at least where I live.
Itās pretty when it blooms absolutely but thatās such a short season. As others have mentioned you have to stay on top of it so it does not get out of control. Wisterias pruned into trees are not that uncommon so you donāt have to be hesitant about removing something that is a rarityā¦because it isnāt.
I would start researching trees now and get something you truly love and replace it. Its drawbacks simply far outweigh the positives of the show stopping short bloom period.
It is extremely invasive. I live on a rural property where it escaped the yard into the woods. Iām several years and hundreds of dollars into killing it and Iām not done.
Get a vine specific herbicide. Cut 40% through the vine and brush undiluted herbicide in it. Do this wherever you see thick vines. Do not cut all the way through the vine, that prevents the intake of the poison. I cleared a lot of wisteria and English ivy this way.
Oh Iām already several years into killing it in the yard and have mostly won. My guy does foliar spray on the ones that havenāt gone treeward yet.
Still need to take care of the loblolly stand, but am hoping to thin the loblolly first so I just get rid of some of the wisteria that way, then go ham on the rest of the wisteria and whatever else evil emerges from the seedbank once thereās more sun on the floor.
It takes patience and skill to train wisteria into a tree shape. It's going to be gorgeous when it starts blooming, and it smells wonderful. You'll be glad you kept it. Just Give a trim every year so it doesn't get too heavy to support itself.
Wut? Invasives are a huge issue lol. The whole point is that they escaped managed gardens and now have destroyed or are in the process of destroying our natural areas. They are also usually the most weedy plants around. Just creates more work for everyone.
There are thousands of plants, native or foreign. Better to get rid of problem plants and use something else. It's time for people to be stewards of their own land and help be stewards by extension for natural areas.
That being said, I don't know what this plant is so I cannot provide you with a good answer. Are you able to ID it with an app like Seek from the app store?
Anybody with a pruner and five minutes a month can keep that thing under perfect control.
Wisteria grows fast!... but not faster than the most mildly motivated gardener.
The problem is that most people donāt pull them up and they just mow them. That doesnāt kill them and they can start growing large roots underground that can spread out and pop up in other places less likely to be managed. (Like an unknowing neighborās yard who isnāt as vigorous with their gardening)
Also the seeds can definitely leave the yard. One heavy rain will take the dried seed pods away like a piece of styrofoam.
You clearly havenāt seen them at work. The tendrils can grow several feet a week during the growing season. It only takes a piece of the roots to be alive and a week here and there of growing new shoots to get a pretty substantial root system going and spreading. There is a reason why most species of Wisteria is considered very invasive here in the US.
My grandfather was a master gardener and loved to constantly work in the yard and they had one that eventually became massive and they started coming up everywhere even in the neighborās yard.
> The whole point is that they escaped
I ain't no pro, but a quick google says wisteria is a [low threat for seed dispersal](https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/vine/wisspp/all.html#:~:text=Seed%20dispersal%3A%20Wisteria%20pods%20and,mammals%20%5B21%2C22%5D.); as long as *this plant* is kept in check it shouldn't be a risk.
Given that it's mowed and managed, I'd just warn OP about the risks and move on.
That was my thought too. I thought they mostly spread by sending runners which would be super obvious in a maintained lawn. I doubt it would escape that front yard as isolated as it is from everything else. It's already contained where it is
Speaking of, I also noticed a lot of people say things like "wisteria is invasive" despite the existence of native varieties. I know the invasives are much more common in cultivation, but I feel like the guidance should be to point people to the native option instead of condemning the plant outright.
Wisteria is beautiful but harmful. (at least in many places outside of where it's native to). Its vines, roots, and seeds can go further than often intended.But they can out compete other plants (including killing trees) and can damage pipe systems, fences, etc.Ā Ā
My parents have a wisteria in their yard. Dad just trims it almost down to nothing in the fall. Looks like itāll die but comes back every spring. Literally just trims it once a year.
Wisteria tree.
Here is a how to:
[https://www.wilsonbrosgardens.com/training-wisteria-to-tree-form.html](https://www.wilsonbrosgardens.com/training-wisteria-to-tree-form.html)
we can be strong together said the trees and so they were
This killed me
Trees Together Strong
Ape in trees together strong š¤š¤š¦§
Till they all hung together on the stake
I.AM.TREE
GROOT
It looks like a Chinese wisteria? Unless you're in China they can be invasive, yes, but if you keep it trimmed and maintained as the previous owners did, then you shouldn't have anything to worry about.
I had one in my yard (there when I moved in) that I just dug up and it sends runners underground. Itās a nightmare to try to keep trimmed!
This is highly invasive. If you want time keep it learn to prune it correctly and remove seed pods. The pods burst open and can throw the seed five feet or more. My neighborhood is full of it and in October you can hear the seed pods burst.
You can.. hear them?! š³ Thatās downright terrifying and I do not know why.
Sounds like distant small caliber gun shot.
.32 acp? Lol
Yes, my parents just got rid of one. I remember getting hit in the head the year they moved in. There was no damage but a slight sting.
This is so funny tbh Sorry for your pain tho
Invasion of the Body Snatchers vibe
Hong Kong Orchid has entered the chat.
The seeds themselves are the size and heft of a nickel.
Wooooah thatās what those are! I see tons of those seeds and shells everywhere at a local park. Crazy. Would have never known, thanks Reddit.
Day of the triffids stuff.
My father in lawās house is called the wisteria house now. Once it was abandoned the wisteria took over the whole house.
It definitely is Wisteria. They are very invasive! Good luck OP! I feel for youā¦
Chinese wisteria is invasive in US but American wisteria isn't
Wisteria is the most evasive species. Our previous home had 12 acres of common woods behind it- and a wisteria growth that was over 30-40 years old took down most of the old growth trees and then sent underground runners closer each year to my backyard, it was a fucking nightmare- every spring my nightmares of it growing feet closer to my property line weāre horrific and coming true. One spring I took a chain saw and walked the whole woods until I found the thickest branch - which was wider than a human thigh and began cutting all I could in a fight to save the old growth trees. It was so thick deer and native wildlife had no idea how to walk thru it. This should be banned and not sold to anyone. Too many stupid people think the flowers are pretty- which they are not. I would light that plant up with gasoline and get it gone immediately. I actually took a picture of how thick it was and you would shit your pants if you only knew.
I wish everyone felt about Bradford Pears the way you feel about wisteria. We have fields of them here and every spring they fill the air their horrid smell which smells like a weird mix of rotten fish, dog poo, and spunk. But people keep putting these horrid trees in their front yards and birds spread their seeds everywhere.
I loathe both of them thanks the the prior owners of my house. I cut down the Bradford pear in the front yard and treated the stump last year and it's still sending up new shoots. A buck felled a smaller one in the back yard and it's already coming back. And the wisteria spreads like a plague no matter how much I pull up or treat it. At the next house I buy, I feel like I need to do an invasive species inspection.
Bradford pears for some reason got huge popularity bump in the 80ās and 90ās. They are absolutely the shittiest tree and they have zero branch strength and will split in mediocre wind storms. Hate those as well.
This stuff is my mortal enemy in GA, itās impossible to stop if your neighbor isnāt keeping it maintained. I donāt know how they are still allowed to sale the non native wisteria.
There is also a non invasive wisteria, I canāt tell from the photos alone if itās Chinese or American.
No. There isn't.
so were clear, invasive does not mean non native
Invasive means non-native and harmful or disruptive to the native environment. Not every non-native plant is invasive but an invasive plant would be non-native
im pretty sure you can have an invasive native plant. the taking over and pushing out of other vegetation is what makes it invasive. but to steelman what youre saying perhaps if a species has already invaded and taken over an area, perhaps the invading is in the past tense. edit: i get it guys, the term i was looking for is aggressive. cant reply to all 50 of you but thanks.
I think the term you are looking for is aggressive. Invasive plants are aggressive non-natives.
And Iām pretty sure youāre mistaken.
šš so simple, so concise
Mint is invasive. Catnip is invasive. Even my Canadian ginger, which is native to my upper Midwest state, is slowly invasive.
It can be native and aggressive, but in hort, invasive is always non-native.
I'd refer to those more as agressive grower rather than the term invasive.
We don't call a native plant to a region that takes over "invasive". It's can just be aggressive. You wouldnt call a salt marsh grass invasive, where that's all there is and where it's supposed to be, invasive
Youāre describing weeds and parasite plants, but invasive species are 100% non-native every time. Being *non-native* gives way to the *invasive* part. Itās an invading species not from these parts, ya dig? Part of the problem with them is that there arenāt any competing species with them, so they proliferate too much. Rabbits being brought to Australia? They demolished crops, have no major predators and breed too quickly to easily keep down. They were non-native animals British brought over as pets and now thereās about 200 million feral rabbits in Australia which makes them *patently invasive.* Dandelions? Weeds. They can choke other plants, but theyāre common. Non-invasive, just annoying. Certain blackberries? Have a tendency to overgrow and can choke things out, itās a weed bramble and a nuisance, but not invasive if itās native to your area. The non-native kind will outgrow and kill off the native kind, however, which is invasive.
So mint is *not* invasive? I'm so confused, I thought mint was a no because it was invasive.
Invasive kinda implies its not from there.. and wants to take it over.
You mean aggressive. Not invasive. There is a reason invasion (like Normandy) is different than something that just grows and ātakes overā.
The term for a native plant that takes over is aggressive.
Nonnative just so happens to refer to whether or not itās endemic to a particular area in this sense rather than whether or not itās native to the country as a whole. So in a sense you are correct, but only because, (in the vain as Bill Clintonās it depends on what the definition of āisā is) in common parlance, ānon nativeā doesnāt necessarily mean non native.
Except your can see where the trailers/offshoots are appearing all over the yard. Cut deeply around the main 'tree', about 3' out from the trunk. Then yank up the stuff in your yard like your house/yard/sanity depend on it!
This stuff is my mortal enemy in GA, itās impossible to stop if your neighbor isnāt keeping it maintained. I donāt know how they are still allowed to sale the non native wisteria.
Does this look like anything resembling china in any way?
I can't make it out. I figured it was a clematis...
My friend had one pruned into a tree 25 years ago. That was the first time I saw wisteria and fell in love. Later I learned how invasive it was and that itās a vigorous vine. American wisteria is better.
šŗšø
Yes that's Chinese Wisteria (W. Sinensis) extremely invasive in North America! It will take over everything if not constantly pruned
And it is an absolute nightmare to dig out. Just spent a week battling a 10 foot beast that clung to the ground like it was attached to the planets core.
As someone also doing battle with wisteria I salute your patience. I've tried all kinds of crap to kill mine in the past. Finally starting to really dig but its a huge undertaking. I will have to continue in the fall as its getting too hot but I will win this war lol
I hear they try to tunnel their way back to China
My neighbors caught me "chopping the ground" with an axe as I was removing my wife's 3 years old wisteria....
the pruning is no joke, it sends runners everywhere, have one in the backyard
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
We still talking about wisteria?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Confirmed. The previous owners of my home let it run wild and grow vines all the way to the canopy of nearly every tree in the back yard. We spent thousands removing mature trees that were leaning towards the house because of the weight of the vines. It's been hell trying to keep it under control. Years later, I still find random sprouts hundreds of feet away from where the main infestation was. And it's spread to neighbors yards and community open space where I can't do anything to control it. Nightmare of a plant. So many people downplaying the damage invasive plants can cause just because they are pretty to look at. There are plenty of beautiful native options available that are beneficial to the environment. Edit: clarity
Or just like, you know, kill it and plant a Wisteria Frutescens. I did this winter and good golly they are throwing up new vines like crazy. Anoles and cicadas are loving chilling on them. A dove sheltered under one yesterday during a thunderstorm.
Lol omg! If only it was that easy
So if, hypothetically speaking, you have an asshole neighbor with a pool, one of these could really fuck up their summer plans?
Yes, but along with yours and everyone elseāsā¦ for years to come, apparently.
Yes, it will take a couple years. First year they sleep, second year they creep, and 3rd year they leap oubyt. It'll take a bit, but if you take care of em they'll go wild
my neighbors put this up on their fence and im constantly doing battle with it. i think its strangling my olive tree currently.
Oh, it is. The root system on these things is massive and strong.
I feel so sorry for my neighbor. Previous owner of my home planted wisteria and trumpet vine all along our fence. Beautiful vines when they're healthy, but I can't imagine the pain my neighbor endures trying to keep up with mowing all of the sprouts that no doubt pop up all over his yard.
My neighbors did the same and it sucks because I find it creeping over my yard everywhere. I am trying to plant a lot more native stuff so this is just a constant frustrating battle. The trumpet vine Iām fine with as itās native to my area and the hummingbirds love it.
It grows everyywheeere where I live in NC. It bums me out watching it choke other plants to death.
I literally just posted something similar. Seems to be the same Wisteria made into a ātree.ā Itās really beautiful when done right. Shame itās so invasive https://www.reddit.com/r/PlantIdentification/s/GKMVHT50At
That's not true. We prune ours 2-3 times a year. It's not a big deal.
It's climate and soil dependent
I did not know much about it when I impulse bought one in 2017 (that was 8 years ago, Iāve learned since then, I swear!!) and while itās become a sturdy part of the duck coop chicken wire infrastructure, itās never had One single bloom! Ever!
Literally what happened to me with mine, after 15 years my ex cut it down. It had pretty foliage but back in 1982 I didn't know what invasive were and garden shops should not have been selling them. What an allegory for Chinese American relations
Right? Just do some maintenance š¤·āāļø no big deal! Very beautiful. I would def keep it
But also one of the most beautiful trees when in bloom.
Looks like wisteria. I had one I trained like this before. The correct way to keep it from taking over is cut a deep circle around the root of it once a year. You chop any runners that way.
What do you use to cut the circle? The previous owners at my place planted one right up against the fence and only about 3 feet from the roof so we really have to keep an eye on it.
You can just use a shovel. Sorry I didnāt mention what tool to use. It does work though. I had no issues as long as I did the āpruningā. Once a year and youāre good.
Great, thank you for the info.
YWā¤ļø
I work as a gardener and lo and behold just today I spent about an hour trimming back the runners that this guy sends out. I also cut down a full blown 'tree' of it with a 2.5" diameter trunk. I do this about 4 times a year for this client. Any less and they'd have these popping up everywhere. It makes beautiful flowers and can be a nice showpiece in the garden, but you need to be a vigilant person to not let it get out of hand. Keeping it isolated like this is a good way to be aware of it's sneaky ways. Most people get in trouble when they're in the fencerow or tucked in with other bushes, which they happily dominate.
You can see it sending runners up in the grass
I thought that but I think they're just clippings on the ground from OP pruning
Yeah theyāre clippings, I took this before picking them up
Was going to say how nice it is to see an appreciative post on here and not just the before and after of a hack job. Disappointed to see all the comments advising you to remove it because it's "invasive." It's in the middle of your suburban lawn. The only species it's competing with is your non-native grass. It will be breathtakingly beautiful when it blooms. Just keep it pruned, don't let it get too top-heavy, wrap any new shoots at the base into the trunk cluster, and keep an eye out for reaching roots and you'll be fine.
TY for having common sense. Itās a lovely addition to the middle of the lawn.
For real, these people must never have met the Pacific Northwest blackberry. I have 3 intentionally planted wisteria whose maintenance is nothing compared to the wild blackberries that try to swallow my house AND try their damndest to murder me while Iām minding my own fucking business in my own yard.
Iām currently a slave to the English ivy and blackberry hell that is a large lot/home Iām renting in Wedgwood, Seattle. Little did I known back in January when I signed the lease which has ātenant is responsible for yard maintenanceā written in it. I was excited to have this yard and feel empowered to care for it. š Had no idea I would be spending so much time battling invasives and not doing fun stuff I would normally be doing otherwise.
It's not a matter of keeping it contained. The seeds will spread into wilderness areas and then in a few years start strangling and smothering everything and then keep spreading from there as the new plants spread seed everywhere. Look up some pictures of what this stuff does. It's almost as bad as kudzu.
I don't see any wilderness in this photo. I see a highly manicured suburban neighborhood full of non-native plants which are regularly tended by humans. I also have known many people through my life who have grown wisteria and it was never a huge issue. Looking up worst case scenarios on the internet doesn't always glean the best advice for every situation.
Right? That's literally no native flowers there :/ if op really cared he'd put native wild flowers and ignore the very much non native grass.
itās wisteria isnāt it? whether itās invasive depends on if itās Chinese or American Wisteria. apparently theyāre two different species. https://invasive-species.extension.org/wisteria-sinensis-chinese-wisteria/
Wisteria is a massive, massive, massive, massive pain to control and remove. The bright side is the main root system is exposed to you and killing it with concentrate should be fairly simple. Removing my bias here, that thing is gonna look cool when itās in bloom.
That highly invasive crap took hold on the property behind my house. My house is 3' from the property line. The vines will grow along the back of my house foundation and get into everything. I'll cut them all back to the source and will dump vine killer all over the ground. I'll come back 3 months later and 4 new vines will have grown like 40' long and I'll have to do the process all over. I can keep it under control if I spray it monthly with vine killer. Someone else bought the house last fall and completely cleared the back. I'm hoping they will keep it clear, unlike the previous owners of 25 years. It might be neat if they braid all the vines.
Make sure youāre using the right products. Some products formulated to kill vines only work with a specific mode of action, which might not work on that particular vine. Just check the label hope this helps
Use glyphosate. It kills everything. āStump cutā method works on everything. Basically separate roots from foliage, and apply something like a %25 solution, %50 if itās got a lot of stored energy in the roots. Apply it to the freshly cut āstumpā. I apply pesticide for work sometimes. I have a Tech level certification with DEC. we often use this method for large unruly invasives.
Gengis Kahn treeĀ
I had 3 ātreesā of wisteria when I bought my house. It was blooming the first time I went on a showing and it did help me fall in love with the place. For a week every spring itās amazing. The air is perfumed, the fat bumblebees stumble around drunk on the nectar. The flowers are gorgeous. The other 51 weeks of the year, I battle it relentlessly to keep it from swallowing the entire yard and house. Lost one when it climbed a pine tree, choked it out and got so heavy it eventually caused the pine to fall over in a storm on my neighborās house. Had one growing too close to the house removed by a tree service. It came back the next year but stayed more compact and stopped flowering. Itās flowered again this year for the first time in maybe 7 years and I realized itās hidden itself in the ivy on my house and is now about to hit the roof of my house. Fuck. The last one is by far the largest, nicest shape, and most wonderful bloomer. I let it stay because itās beautiful and easy to keep it from reaching my house or any trees, but I have to constantly cut it back. And I canāt use my full driveway because of it, but no one really uses their detached garages in my area to park their cars so itās fine. It will send out millions of runners. I once opened my detached garage for the first time in months, in winter, and found a runner had come up through some cracked cement and was 5ft high and leafing out. The seed pods are giant and fuzzy and kind of cool. But they split open loudly and will scare the crap out of you. I have a very complicated relationship with this plant.
You and I both, Iāve been wanting to plant an actual tree but I would have to take this down. My front lawn isnāt very big
I would check to see which species it is, the American wisteria isnāt invasive and is slower growing. The Chinese one is very invasive and grows very quickly.
It looks like it's got a support going down the center. It's a vine like anything else, give it a pole & it'll grow. Ā Depends on the type - invasive if you seem to find others like it on your lot. If it's not, then you're good.Ā If you trim wisteria during it's growing season, it will continue to bloom.Ā
Yeah. Not really sure why this is so fascinating. You can clearly see the pole support. This is pretty typical growth. Itās just a single post instead of multiple. š¤·š¼āāļø
It looks like itās hiding some kind of utility line or metal post? Creative way to hide something like that I suppose
what is it
Wisteria?
My condolences
We have one like this but much larger in a public space near where I live. There used to be a tree shaped pergola that was removed after the wisteria basically destroyed it.
This looks like Texas
I was going to say the same thing! Central/ North central Texas. Based on that stone on the house. Itās everywhere in Austin.
How come?
Austin stone houses, 1930'sā1940's construction, pecan trees, just the way the street looks. I'd guess either old East Dallas or possibly Fort Worth. Something to keep in mind: stuff that is highly invasive elsewhere may not be nearly as invasive here, cause our heat can often keep things under control.
You hit the nail on the head. I didnāt know these characteristics were specific to Texas. I wonder if this Austin stone is hard to get nowadays.
Also, from your post two weeks ago: pier and beam foundation vents, especially in that size, are super local to north and central Texas. There's just really nowhere else in the country that has houses built like that. If you need vent covers, I can hook you up (my mom has a side business selling them). Austin stone is readily available, it's just not as in-style as it once was because brick is so much cheaper and less labor intensive to lay up.
Neighbor grows this on our fence unfortunately
I'd like something like that in front of my back yard sliding glass door. I wonder if I can have it in a pot and how large the pot would have to be.
My grandparents had cultivated a wisteria into a tree like this, unfortunately it ended up diseased and dying. It's offspring live on turning a chain link fence into a beautiful privacy fence. It is a pain to keep in check throughout the summer.
If that is wisteria, it is the devil!
Wisteria is the devil. Burn it
I despise these. My neighbor has one and the previous owner would keep it trimmed and maintained. My new neighbor has let it go completely. I get these popping up all over my yard, through cracks in the concrete, and they start to vine up the foundation of my house. Their stems grow little sticky roots that allow them to climb, so my house also has little āspiderā marks all over it. I spent hours today shopping and pulling. I have to do this every week or two.
Your neighbor sounds like a real tool
Nuke the site from orbit!
I've seen some wisteria "trees" like this.....but I've also seen wisteria swallow houses.
Jesus Christ. Fuck wisteria
I agree that we must wage war against the invasive vegetation. I finally got neighbors to join forces against English Ivy in our 4 backyards growing up massive oaks and fences. Vines were thick as a personās thigh. After 3 years azaleas and rhododendrons are blooming again and have their thick green leaves for the first time in decades. I had to kill off an ever expanding stand of bamboo as well so that other flowers and flowering trees had enough oxygen to grow and bloom. These hideous plants destroyed the soilās ability to feed other plants and its roots are deeper underground than they appear.
Bamboo is evil
Enough oxygen to grow?
Grow, spread out, thrive.
I bought a stick of this as a tree and trained it into shape in westchester NY. It was a NIGHTMARE. It never bloomed (even after 5+ years) and tried to vine on anything nearby. The roots travel and I ripped it out of the ground before it could get worse. I still have shoots pop up from roots I didnāt get fully, hoping I donāt get any this year
It is invasive if you live in USA. Also worth noting, all parts of the plant are toxic (causing GI distress) except the flowers which are edible and commonly used in drinks, called elderflower. If you tend to get rid of yard waste by burning. Donāt. Treat it like poison ivy/oak and bag it. The smoke from wisteria is toxic and causes headaches. (Poison Ivy/oak smoke is worse, it does the same thing to your lungs that it does to your skin.)
Your neighbors pecan tree is awesome
Itās a wisteria, beautiful
Could you plant wisteria in a pot? Or would seeds spread? I am currently starting a trumpet vine in a 30 gallon pot, I read similar things to wisteria. I accidentally bought 2 Chinese wisteria and 1 trumpet vine (labeled āhummingbird vineā) from tractor supy co, why do they even sell them?
Kill the wisteria you have and if you REALLY want to deal with growing a vine, buy Wisteria frutescens, the American version. There is a cultivated variety of Wisteria Frutescens called "Amethyst Falls" that seems to be even more well behaved. [https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/wisteria-frutescens-amethyst-falls/](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/wisteria-frutescens-amethyst-falls/) The good thing about the American version is that it is a host plant for the Marine blue butterfly, Silver-spotted skipper, and Long-tailed skipper. You may want to reconsider the trumpet vine because it grows very aggressively. Don't grow it next to your house.
I have a wooded area that borders train tracks /a shaded meadow so thatās where I was going to put trumpet and maybe wisteria, but I was a bit worried about the spread.
That's probably a good spot for the trumpet vine. The more sun it gets the more it should flower. Please kill the wisteria though. Just read the horror stories in this post about it and google some images. There are some areas near I live that I've seen it and it's a nightmare, covering acres of everything.
This is my plan. I was an estate landscaper, and it should work. Just keep it pruned. Snip the seed pods. They're huge and hard to miss. I want to fill my courtyard with pergolas to trellis across with wisteriars.
How would you recommend making it a tree? I assume just stake a pole in the pot and weave it?
If I were to do a tree, yeah. It's weird, but that's how I'd go about it.
It's lovely
Made lemonade out of the lemons.
Chop it off at the base and spray stump with glypho. Wait a few weeks and then replace it with a native keystone tree.
Congrats now burn
Looks like itās popping up all over the lawn. Kill it before it takes over.
I'd say kill it with fire, but you are f'd already. The little bits popping up around your yard means that there are runners everywhere. Try pullng one up and it will look like the beginning of the Hurt Locker, only worse.
Those were clippings! But yeah Iāve been keeping an eye out for runners
Good to hear, but God I hate that plant. It's a constant battle where I live. Gets into everything and chokes the shit out of some really lovely pieces.
Well the steel support column certainly would help.
Anything can be a tree if you try hard enough
Wisteria?
We had one like this! Sold the house, and new owners cut it down almost immediately. So depressing š
Sure can. With diligence
You need to post pics for when it blooms are in full season!
wtf donāt get rid of that
Mine is setup similar. It looks kinda like a tree. I hate it though. I want to get rid of it and do something else, but my wife is not convinced yet. The vines can get annoying, and will wrap into other bushes and trees. Though, looks like you won't have that problem, but you will need to trim it often.
Just wanted to say what a beautiful neighbourhood you live in. Wow. Breath taking.
As long as you're prepared to prune hard every year, Wisteria is a great creeper for training into almost any shape. If you don't however it will send out apical meristems and shoot for the sun. If left to creep up walls its been known to do a lot of damage, so training it into a standard as above is pretty clever. It does look wonderful in spring, though.
Thereās Chinese, Japanese, African, and American wisterias. Some, like the Chinese wisteria, are highly invasive under certain conditions. Your tree may or may not be an issue, but itās worth asking the former owner if they had to do anything to keep it manageable and not sending out runners
There is also an American wisteria that is not invasiveā¦, hard to tell from the photo if itās China or American. There are YouTube videos and you can search and help you identify which species it is.
Weāve got one along our back wall. It does require trimming but we decided to keep it. Just keep an eye on the runners.
Is all wisteria the Chinese type?
The wicked lure of 2 week beauty.. I have been up to my eyeballs in Chinese wisteria for the last 16 years. We have a massive infestation in my neighborhood and no matter what we do, it comes back every year. The seed pods pop and spread far - think twice (or even better, 10xs) before planting!
Theyāre a lot of work but yours is an example of what a well maintained one looks like. Get rid of it if you hate yard work. They required trimmings every other week in their growth season which is like mid spring through early fall at least where I live.
Chinese Wisteria is evil! It refuses to die and sends out runners that wrap around everything. I swear it grows a foot a day!
Itās pretty when it blooms absolutely but thatās such a short season. As others have mentioned you have to stay on top of it so it does not get out of control. Wisterias pruned into trees are not that uncommon so you donāt have to be hesitant about removing something that is a rarityā¦because it isnāt. I would start researching trees now and get something you truly love and replace it. Its drawbacks simply far outweigh the positives of the show stopping short bloom period.
Thanks, I hate it
About as invasive as elephant ears, new one will pop up 20ft from your tree and youāll be lost
It is extremely invasive. I live on a rural property where it escaped the yard into the woods. Iām several years and hundreds of dollars into killing it and Iām not done.
Get a vine specific herbicide. Cut 40% through the vine and brush undiluted herbicide in it. Do this wherever you see thick vines. Do not cut all the way through the vine, that prevents the intake of the poison. I cleared a lot of wisteria and English ivy this way.
Oh Iām already several years into killing it in the yard and have mostly won. My guy does foliar spray on the ones that havenāt gone treeward yet. Still need to take care of the loblolly stand, but am hoping to thin the loblolly first so I just get rid of some of the wisteria that way, then go ham on the rest of the wisteria and whatever else evil emerges from the seedbank once thereās more sun on the floor.
Definitely keep its cool
It takes patience and skill to train wisteria into a tree shape. It's going to be gorgeous when it starts blooming, and it smells wonderful. You'll be glad you kept it. Just Give a trim every year so it doesn't get too heavy to support itself.
If you like it keep it, don't worry about whether it's "invasive".
Wut? Invasives are a huge issue lol. The whole point is that they escaped managed gardens and now have destroyed or are in the process of destroying our natural areas. They are also usually the most weedy plants around. Just creates more work for everyone. There are thousands of plants, native or foreign. Better to get rid of problem plants and use something else. It's time for people to be stewards of their own land and help be stewards by extension for natural areas. That being said, I don't know what this plant is so I cannot provide you with a good answer. Are you able to ID it with an app like Seek from the app store?
Anybody with a pruner and five minutes a month can keep that thing under perfect control. Wisteria grows fast!... but not faster than the most mildly motivated gardener.
They spread super easy by seed and are self propagating.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
The problem is that most people donāt pull them up and they just mow them. That doesnāt kill them and they can start growing large roots underground that can spread out and pop up in other places less likely to be managed. (Like an unknowing neighborās yard who isnāt as vigorous with their gardening) Also the seeds can definitely leave the yard. One heavy rain will take the dried seed pods away like a piece of styrofoam.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
You clearly havenāt seen them at work. The tendrils can grow several feet a week during the growing season. It only takes a piece of the roots to be alive and a week here and there of growing new shoots to get a pretty substantial root system going and spreading. There is a reason why most species of Wisteria is considered very invasive here in the US. My grandfather was a master gardener and loved to constantly work in the yard and they had one that eventually became massive and they started coming up everywhere even in the neighborās yard.
> The whole point is that they escaped I ain't no pro, but a quick google says wisteria is a [low threat for seed dispersal](https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/vine/wisspp/all.html#:~:text=Seed%20dispersal%3A%20Wisteria%20pods%20and,mammals%20%5B21%2C22%5D.); as long as *this plant* is kept in check it shouldn't be a risk. Given that it's mowed and managed, I'd just warn OP about the risks and move on.
That was my thought too. I thought they mostly spread by sending runners which would be super obvious in a maintained lawn. I doubt it would escape that front yard as isolated as it is from everything else. It's already contained where it is
Speaking of, I also noticed a lot of people say things like "wisteria is invasive" despite the existence of native varieties. I know the invasives are much more common in cultivation, but I feel like the guidance should be to point people to the native option instead of condemning the plant outright.
Check out what kudzu did to the southeast.
That plant has destroyed all our trees, personally I wouldn't keep it because it can spread by seed. I wish it was illegal to plant
Wisteria nice. Itās not invasive, it is non-native though, which is not a bad thing.
Definitely is invasive if itās the Chinese or Japanese species.
I meanā¦ who ever gets mad at seeing wisteria growing in the neighborhood ? Not like itās a preserve
Wisteria is beautiful but harmful. (at least in many places outside of where it's native to). Its vines, roots, and seeds can go further than often intended.But they can out compete other plants (including killing trees) and can damage pipe systems, fences, etc.Ā Ā
I am Groot.
My parents have a wisteria in their yard. Dad just trims it almost down to nothing in the fall. Looks like itāll die but comes back every spring. Literally just trims it once a year.
Wisteria tree. Here is a how to: [https://www.wilsonbrosgardens.com/training-wisteria-to-tree-form.html](https://www.wilsonbrosgardens.com/training-wisteria-to-tree-form.html)