Wisteria Transplant

[Cliff D]

Hi,

I am relatively knew to bonsai and love Wisteria blooms. I live in NC so Wisteria is an invasive species growing everywhere. This spring I went out in the woods where I had seen Wisteria the previous year and dug some up. Thought I would share my results. These were about 30 feet tall and I used a pruning saw to lop them at about a foot. I found out they had a single tap root about the same diameter as the trunk with some spars roots sticking off. I cut the root(trunk) about 3 inches below the soil level and threw them in some old nursery pots. I had read they like boggy environments so I decided to forgo using up my bonsai soil on them. I applied wood glue to the cut so they wouldn't lose too much water to the exposed cambium. I kept them wet for two months and now they look like this. I am extremely pleased that they have done so well. I would probably hold off on the glue in the future because there was a lots of new growth trying to push out of the cut site, but couldn't break through the glue. Now I can go look for new ones with prettier trunks lines.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

I want to gomhinting with you! I know there mist be some of this stiff out in WNC but so far all I find is wild grapes and kudzu.

 

[Cliff D]

late winter, early spring ill be going again. Couldn't imagine anything better than another person who was interested going with me. Are you at elevation or something? its everywhere here. I just noticed blooms and remembered the location the next year. These two I was trying to replicate the one in the pic. I will have to do some carving once the branches are established to get them there. Now that I know something can survive such a harsh transplant, I can start looking for cool stuff.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

I spend most of my time in the woods fishing for trout and that is usually off the parkway. They probably have removed as much as they can get to since it is such an invasive. So just where in NC are you?

 

[Cliff D]

Piedmont Foothills, hickory to be precise.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

I’ll wave on my way back home to Asheville tomorrow. Funny thing is I used to see them all the time. They were real popular around old farm houses and like you say they got out of hand. I guess I need to spend some dashboard time next spring on some back roads looking for those telltale purple flowers.

 

[Cliff D]

I wouldn't worry too much about scouting for them. My wife and I visit Asheville every few weeks. The place I got these two from had.... not exactly sure, but a guess would be 30-40 thick ones and an acre of small ones. the pic below is of a beast that is out there. Everything in those pics is wisteria killing that forest. I can cut a few extra next year and give them to you when we are out your way. Otherwise you can come cut them yourself.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Great, I have a portable reciprocating saw I use for collecting which would make quick work of the roots. I need to get out and scout for some more hemlocks and hornbeams once I get back to town and the creeks subside a little. Don’t know if Hickory got much rain from Alberto but Asheville in general got hit hard. Keep in touch.

 

[Hyn Patty]

Yeah, so much rain. Glad I live up on a mountain. I haven't seen any wisteria growing up here yet besides the one American native wisteria I brought with me but I really haven't had a chance to look around much yet. Lots of hemlocks though! Seedlings everywhere. I did see porcelain vine the other day that caught my eye but it wasn't on our property so I didn't touch it.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Interestingly in my back yard we only got 2.75” of rain out of Alberto but various other areas got over 10”. I live in an area known as Dry Ridge and storms seem to have a habit of going around us or petering out befroe they get here. We were in Nags Head all week and between the rain and automatic timers almost all my trees did OK. One Viburnum prunifolium was apparently outside the water circle one day and didn’t get enough water so it ended up dropping most leaves. Hopefully it will pop back now that it is getting regular water again.

 

[Hyn Patty]

I understand. Where we moved up from was a 'dry valley' that the rain almost always seemed to go around! We'd see the storms daily but most of them would skirt our immediate area - but not always. Up here though the clouds themselves pile up as they come up the valley if the wind is at all from the south. So we have had rain just about every day the past three weeks and more with only two days exception so far. Usually the rain hits us late in the afternoon and spontaneously generates as it hits the mountains. I would assume that when the wind is more from the west or the north the moisture will expend itself for the most part before it climbs over and reaches us here. I'm told we'll not get a ton of snow on this south-east facing side of the mountains, usually only a few inches. I guess we are going to find out!

 

[Cliff D]

It's been raining a lot here in the foothills. My trees are loving it. As for the wisteria, i have about 5 locations I have noticed with wisteria this spring. It is all rural residential area so planting is a possibily. This stuff is old and in weird spots, but the forest does have a habit of taking land back over time. I was under the impression it grew wild though, it is all native North American and doesn't leaf before blooming.