Chinese Wisteria Amethyst (Caroline)

A large and beautiful deciduous climber with an anti-clockwise twining habit, Wisteria sinensis Amethyst is a long-lived, vigorous, woody-stemmed, self-twining climber which will need substantial support. It can be grown informally through a very strong tree, or more formally on a strong pergola or sturdy wires on a south- or west-facing house wall. The leaves, divided into eleven leaflets, emerge bronze, turning a light green. Long racemes of strongly scented, violet-blue flowers with a yellow centre emerge before the leaves in May, and are followed by velvety, green, bean-like seed-pods.  Prune in February and again in August. Chinese wisteria Amethyst holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.