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Amethyst Falls Wisteria

Wisteria frutescens (wis-TEER-ee-uh froo-TESS-enz)

Family: Fabaceae Unknown Vine (vertical)

‘Amethyst Falls’ wisteria is a deciduous, climbing vine in the Fabaceae (bean) family. It is a wisteria cultivar from Head Ornamentals, Inc. Unlike the more common Asian wisteria, you will be pleasantly surprised by the less aggressive nature of this American vine. Considered by some to be a dwarf wisteria, ‘Amethyst Falls’ has smaller leaves and smaller flowers than its exotic Asian relatives. Once this plant is established, it can climb 18 to 20 feet high and has a spread of 10 to 15 feet wide. ‘Amethyst Falls’ should be planted in full sun and in moist soil with good drainage. Space the plants 6 to 12 feet apart. This plant blooms on new wood, providing a gorgeous, heavy bloom in the late spring and a lighter, repeat bloom in summer. The flowers are lightly fragrant, lavender-purple, and borne in cascading 4- to 6-inch racemes in May. Due to the fact that our native wisterias bloom on new growth, vines can be moderately pruned back each winter. This characteristic helps gardeners train ‘Amethyst Falls’ onto arbors or to almost any trellis form. This plant has a low toxicity to cats, dogs, and horses. An excellent choice as an alternative for the more aggressive, invasive Asian varieties, this wisteria is also both deer resistant and drought tolerant. Plant as a specimen, taking advantage of any vertical space in the landscape. It works perfectly in containers on a patio or near a pool. Its ability to attract hummingbirds and butterflies makes it a great addition to a pollinator garden. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for " Annuals, Perennials, Vines, and Groundcovers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Wisteria frutescens .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 58 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 6 - Vine (vertical) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Often confused with Wisteria sinensis
Native alternatives Clematis viorna Wisteria frutescens

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Vine
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 8 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in. | Width: 10 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Climbing; Dense; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire
Hairs present
No
Flower color
Purple/Lavender
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower shape
Irregular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Pea-like flowers are lightly fragrant, lavender-purple, and borne in cascading 4 to 6-inch cone-shaped racemes in May re-blooming lightly in the summer.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Legume
Fruit size
> 3 inches long
Fruit detail
Flattened, brown, velvety, bean-like pod. They ripen over the summer from a fuzzy to shiny, smooth when dried. They may split open when ripe, or may remain through the winter.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Wildlife value
Attracts birds, butterflies, and hummingbirds. A host plant for the Marine blue butterfly, Silver-spotted skipper, and Long-tailed skipper.
Attracts
Butterflies; Hummingbirds; Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Legume
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Naturalized Area; Patio; Pool/Hardscape; Vertical Spaces; Walkways
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Cottage Garden; Pollinator Garden
Design feature
Accent; Screen/Privacy; Specimen
Garden tags
#dwarf #deciduous #fragrant flowers #espalier #rustic #deer resistant #cottage garden #problem for dogs #problem for horses #problem for cats #native vine #deciduous vine #drought tolerant #arbor #showstopper #container plant #privacy #vertical spaces #skipper butterflies #specimen #larval host plant #poolside planting #hummingbird friendly #bird friendly #silver-spotted skipper butterfly #butterfly friendly #patio #trellis #compact #screen #walkway
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Problem for Cats; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses
Resistant to
Deer
Poison severity
Low
Poison symptoms
Vomiting (sometimes with blood), diarrhea, depression
Toxic principle
Lectin, wisterin glycoside
Contact dermatitis
No
Toxicity summary
Low severity poison

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.