The hardy ‘Summer Cascade’ wisteria was bred from a hardy strain of Kentucky wisteria and first known as ‘Betty Matthews,’ after a White Bear Lake resident in whose yard it grew. It blooms on new growth in June. Individual flowers are borne on long showy racemes and open as a lovely shade of dark lavender before fading. This beautiful flowering vine thrives in full sun, and can easily cover an arbor or pergola to create a shady retreat. An interesting seed pod in late summer provides multi-season interest.
Carefully consider where to place a new wisteria. It can be an aggressive grower that develops a heavy wood structure of its own. Supports such as a fence, arbor or trellis must be able to accommodate that weight. Once established, new canes can grow up to 10 feet in a summer. Routine pruning several times throughout the growing season will restrain its size and promote blooms.
U of M Wisteria (Wisteria macrostachya) Variety
| Image | Variety | Year | Flower Color | Features | Plant Size |
 |
Summer Cascade | 2013 | Lavender | Cascading 10-12" bloom clusters | 15-25' vine |
