Japanese wisteria

Wisteria floribunda, common name Japanese wisteria (藤, fuji), is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to Japan. (Wisteriopsis japonica, synonym Wisteria japonica, is a different species.) Growing to 9 m (30 ft), Wisteria floribunda is a woody, deciduous twining climber. It was first brought from Japan to the United States in the 1830s. It is a common subject for bonsai, along with Wisteria sinensis (Chinese wisteria).

Japanese wisteria sports the longest flower racemes of any wisteria; Some of those cultivars can reach 2 m (7 ft) in length. These racemes burst into clustered white, pink, violet, or blue flowers in early- to mid-spring. The flowers carry a 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 years just like its cousin Chinese wisteria.