W. floribunda growing in Longwood Gardens

Wisteria floribunda, the Japanese wisteria, is a woody liana of the Wisteria family. It was brought from Japan to the United States in 1830's.^[1][2] Since then, it has become one of the most highly romanticized flowering garden plants. It is also a common subject for bonsai, along with Wisteria sinensis (Chinese wisteria).

The flowering habit of Japanese wisteria is perhaps the most spectacular of the Wisteria family. It sports the longest flower racemes of any wisteria; they can reach nearly half a meter in length. These racemes burst into great trails of clustered white, violet, or blue flowers in early- to mid-spring. The flowers carry a distinctive fragrance similar to that of grapes. The early flowering time of Japanese wisteria can cause problems in temperate climates, where early frosts can destroy the coming years' flowers. It will also flower only after passing from juvenile to adult stage, a transition that may take many frustrating years just like its cousin Chinese Wisteria.

Japanese wisteria can grow over 30m long over many supports via powerful clockwise-twining stems. The foliage consists of shiny, dark-green, pinnately compound leaves 10–30 cm in length. The leaves bear 9-13 oblong leaflets that are each 2–6 cm long. It also bears numerous poisonous, brown, velvety, bean-like seed pods 5–10 cm long that mature in summer and persist until winter. Japanese wisteria prefers moist soils and full sun in USDA plant hardiness zones 5-9.^[3] The plant often lives over fifty years.

W. floribunda cultivars

1. 'Alba' - correct name is Shiro Noda - long white flower clusters
2. 'Carnea' - correct name is Kuchibeni - pink flowers
3. 'Honbeni' - pink flowers
4. 'Issai Perfect' - light lavender flowers
5. 'Ivory Tower' - correct name is W. sinensis Jako
6. 'Kuchibeni' - pink flowers
7. 'Lawrence' - blue flowers, hardy cultivar
8. 'Longissima' - correct name is macrobotrys - reddish-violet flower clusters one meter or longer
9. 'Longissima Alba' - correct name is Shiro Noda - long white flower clusters
10. 'Macrobotrys' - reddish-violet flower clusters one meter or longer
11. 'Macrobotrys Cascade' - white and pinkish-purple flowers, vigorous grower
12. 'Nana Richins Purple' - purple flowers
13. 'Nishiki' - variegated foliage
14. 'Plena' - correct name is Violaceae Plena - double blue flowers in dense clusters
15. 'Praecox' - correct name is Domino - purple flowers
16. 'Purpurea' - unknown - May be Wisteria sinensis consequa which is sometimes labeled purpurea
17. 'Rosea' - correct name is Honbeni -pale rose flowers tipped purple, 18 inches long
18. 'Royal Purple' - purple flowers
19. 'Rubra'- unknown - may be Honbeni - sometimes labeled as Rubrum - deep pink to red flowers
20. 'Shiro Noda' - long white flower clusters
21. 'Snow Showers' - correct name is Shiro Noda - long white flower clusters
22. 'Texas Purple' - may be a sinensis or a hybrid, short racemes, purple flowers, produced while the plant is still young
23. 'Violacea Plena' - double violet flowers, rosette-shaped
24. 'White with Blue Eye' - also known as Sekines Blue - very fragrant