Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Wisteria sinensis 'Alba' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called white Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis 'Alba').

More about wisteria sinensis 'alba'

About Wisteria sinensis 'Alba'

Wisteria sinensis 'Alba' · also called white Chinese wisteria · flowering

'Alba' is the white-flowered form of Chinese wisteria, draping walls and pergolas in fragrant pure-white racemes in late spring, mostly before the leaves emerge. It wants full sun, deep fertile soil, a strong support and twice-yearly pruning to flower reliably. Stems twine anticlockwise. All parts, especially seeds and pods, are toxic to cats and dogs.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Many years of leaf and no flower: Typical of seed-grown plants; buy a named grafted 'Alba' and prune twice a year to encourage flowering spurs.

The reasons wisteria sinensis 'alba' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming wisteria sinensis 'alba' traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding wisteria sinensis 'alba' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get wisteria sinensis 'alba' to flower

Maximise sun. Give wisteria sinensis 'alba' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for wisteria sinensis 'alba' and get the feeding right with the wisteria sinensis 'alba' fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Wisteria sinensis 'Alba' flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full wisteria sinensis 'alba' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Wisteria sinensis 'Alba' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my wisteria sinensis 'alba' flower?

Wisteria sinensis 'Alba' blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make wisteria sinensis 'alba' bloom?

Give wisteria sinensis 'alba' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does wisteria sinensis 'alba' normally bloom?