Glicina bicolora productiva - Wisteria floribunda 'Domino' (Issai) (flori parfumate)

Wisteria floribunda 'Domino', also known as 'Issai', is a Japanese variety of wisteria, renowned for its fragrant flowers of a delicate blue-violet shade, and for its early and abundant blooming. This vigorous climbing plant is a popular choice for decorating pergolas, trellises, or walls, offering an impressive floral display in spring.

Flower Appearance

• Shape: The flowers are grouped in long, hanging clusters typical of Japanese wisteria. Each cluster consists of numerous small, pea-shaped flowers that gradually open from the base to the tip.
• Color: The color is a pastel blue-violet, sometimes with lighter shades towards white at the base, giving a soft and elegant look.
• Size: It produces long, pendulous clusters of light purple flowers that can reach lengths of up to 50 cm.
• Scent: The flowers emit a sweet and intense fragrance that attracts pollinators such as bees and butterflies.
• Blooming period: It blooms in spring, from April to May, and is known for its ability to flower even at a young age, unlike other wisterias that may require several years. Although the main blooming occurs in spring, it often continues to bloom sporadically throughout the summer.

Growth Characteristics

• Height: It grows up to 4-8 meters, depending on support and pruning, being more compact than other Wisteria floribunda varieties. It is ideal for smaller spaces or urban gardens.
• Foliage: The leaves are compound, pinnate, with 9-15 leaflets of bright green that turn golden-yellow in autumn, adding extra seasonal interest.
• Vigor: It is a vigorous plant with woody stems that twist clockwise (typical of Wisteria floribunda), requiring a sturdy support.

Growing Conditions

• Exposure: Prefers full sun for optimal blooming but also tolerates light partial shade.
• Soil: Thrives in well-drained, fertile soils with a neutral to slightly acidic pH. Does not tolerate very wet or heavy clay soils.
• Watering: Requires regular watering in the first years but becomes moderately drought-tolerant once established.
• Pruning: Needs regular pruning to control growth and stimulate flowering. Prune twice a year: once in summer (July-August), after flowering, cutting new shoots back to 5-6 buds, and once in winter (January-February), shortening them to 2-3 buds.

Care and Resistance

• Hardiness: It is frost-hardy, but flower buds can be damaged by late spring frosts. It is also resistant to diseases and pests.
• Fertilizing: A phosphorus-rich fertilizer applied in spring helps promote flowering, avoiding excess nitrogen which encourages leaf growth at the expense of flowers.

Origin

Wisteria floribunda 'Domino' is a Japanese selection of the species Wisteria floribunda, also known as 'Issai'. It was cultivated to provide early blooming and a more manageable size compared to other Japanese wisterias, introduced for Western gardens as a compact and reliable alternative.

Compared to Wisteria sinensis (Chinese wisteria), Wisteria floribunda 'Domino' develops longer flower clusters and has a longer blooming period. Also, unlike Wisteria frutescens (American wisteria), which is often more compact and less invasive, 'Domino' can grow faster and may require more maintenance to control its spread.