Anyone working with Dwarf Wisteria?

[augustine]

Does anyone have experience with growing Dwarf Wisteria, Millettia Japonica, as bonsai? I've never seen discussion about this plant in our US forums.

I bought a small plant last March from Mr. Valavanis' catalog and potted up in a training pot. It grew well and had beautiful small green foliage like a reg wisteria (but small and delicate). It was placed in morning sun and light afternoon shade. The leaves yellowed and started dropping pretty early, around first of September. There were no insects, diseases and the roots were just fine. I think it was just beat up from the relentless heat.

Bill V. told me to pot it up in a training pot and let it grow. I did this and the trunk almost doubled in size. The base produces suckers and I was able to leave one to thicken the trunk.
He further said that the plant would not develop a huge trunk but is grown and enjoyed for it's foliage. International Bonsai magazine had an article in Issue No. 1 of 2004.

I like this plant, very feminine and graceful and would like to know if anyone else has experience with this species. I love Bill's sometimes unusual catalog offerings and also have his porcelainberry, cultivated variety, as well as the Early Amethyst Beautyberry , Calicarpa Dichotoma. Fun plants.

Please share any info about the Dwarf Wisteria. Thank you.

Best,

Augustine
Central MD - 7A

 

[rockm]

Milletia really isn't wisteria, at least not the kind most people are used to. It is not as vigorous and doesn't flower as readily. I had one way back when. I gave up on it because I expected it to behave like a wisteria. Couldn't get any flowers out of it. It was OK, but too timid for me. There is some info on it in the book "Four Seasons of Bonsai," if I remember correctly.

As for the porcelainberry, you might want to consider that it is one of the most invasive species around these parts. It's everywhere. It has been banned for sale in Massachusetts. Don't know if it has in Maryland, though.

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=AMBR7
http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/ambr1.htm

You can find porelainberry vines with considerable trunks around here that are free for the taking if you ask the landowner whose property it has claimed.

 

[augustine]

RockM,

I read that the Millettia doesn't flower before purchase so I wasn't disappointed. Interesting though that the article stated that Boon has one in his landscape that does flower and I read about a guy in Australia that also had one. There is some interesting info in the International Bonsai article that I referenced. I agree the plant can be described as "timid." I see that you are a good grower, do you have any tips about cultivation?

Bill V. told me to grow it out. After time it will have to be pruned and the growth "slowed" to attain curvy branches. The article was pretty cool, a translation from a 1974 Japanese publication, and was quite detailed.

Porcelainberry is an invasive plant in my state, however, mine is a cultivated variegated type and not a monster like the wild plant. It's a slower grower with smaller green and silver leaves. The birds did not seem to be attracted to the plant and I removed the berries before they fell. I've found several wild plants with decent trunks but did not want to introduce it into my neighborhood. (There's plenty of it in MD but have not seen it in my immediate area. We are overgrown with White Mulberry and Siberian Elms.)

Thank you for you comments and stay warm. (We're having very cold weather here in the mid-Atlantic region).

Best regards,

Augustine
Central MD - 7A