Japanese wisteria 'Black Dragon'

Wisteria floribunda

How to grow Japanese wisteria 'Black Dragon'

  • Full Sun

  • Medium

The plant may not flower for a year or two, and it is important during this period to establish the formal framework.
As the plant grows it will send out many whip shoots, choose the sturdiest to tie into the vertical. If the plant has to cover a high structure, concentrate on establishing this before stretching out any laterals. Otherwise, tie in appropriately places shoots to the structure, and cut off at the main stem (or two buds) laterals that do not fit the plan. Don’t worry of the end of the chosen shoot shrivels up, just cut back to a good bud and wait for another to take over the leader.
Continue to tie in the framework shoots and in addition prune twice a year. The first formal pruning is mid summer, cut back all whippy growth (apart from the shoots that form the framework) to 5 buds. This will tidy the plant up and encourage more laterals. The second formal pruning takes place mid winter, when the leaves have been shed and the plant is dormant. The structure is easily seen, tie in the framework branches and prune every thing else back to two buds. This encourages the production of flowering spurs on the framework branches. The wisteria flowers from mature spurs. It is quite tricky to distinguish between flower buds and leaf buds, but generally flower buds are fatter and rounder, leaf buds being slimmer and more oval and pointed. It is important to prune at the correct time of year or there is a chance that the wood that the flower buds are formed on will be removed by mistake

An easier option is to let the plant grow up a sturdy host tree. No need to prune, just let it go!

Try to plant in a location that enjoys full sun and remember to water moderately. Keep in mind when planting that Black Dragon is thought of as hardy, so this plant will survive close to or on freezing temperatures.

Growing Black Dragon from seed

Wisteria is not normally grown from seed as it may not grow to produce a plant like the parent. It also takes a long time for a seed grown plant to make flowers, may be about seven or eight years. So seed wisteria are used to make root stock for grafts of the desired cultivar.
Wisteria are grown by grafting the named variety onto a seed grown rootstock.
For the home gardner semi ripe cuttings can be taken in mid summer or hard wood cuttings in late autumn early winter. Alternatively, layering also produces reliable results.
Cuttings and layering also have the advantage that there is no graft to fail and all shoots will be the desired variety rather than suckers from the root stock

Transplanting Black Dragon

Wisteria prefer a sunny spot and will also need a sturdy support, even if it is to be trained as a standard. Wisteria can be trained onto wires against a wall or a sturdy trellis or over a pergola. Do not underestimate how heavy a vigorous wisteria can be. An easy option can be just to ‘let it go’ into a tree. If it is to be trained as a standard it will need a sturdy post, at leat to start with.

Plant at least 1m from the wall base or tree trunk (angling it towards the support) to avoid the rain shadow. Dig the hole two or three times as wide as the pot it was grown in and a little deeper. Loosed the soil in the bottom of the hole and add some blood fish and bone. Check that the plant when in the hole, is not so deep that the graft is covered, it needs to sit above the ground level, with the graft well clear. Back fill, water and firm in. Take the wisteria off the stick it was grown on and attach it to the support, with string.
Water well during the first growing season

Ensure that temperatures are mild and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Black Dragon is a hardy plant.

Harvesting Black Dragon

Black Dragon folklore & trivia

The only wisteria with double flowers

Other Names for Japanese wisteria 'Black Dragon'

Yea Kokuryu, Violate Plena, Double Black Dragon