I just planted a wisteria next to a dying bush in my front yard hoping it will cover it

[Quixote1818]

The bush has very little life on it and a number of branches that stick out a bit. The wisteria should start entwining all over the dead and slightly alive branches in a matter of weeks. Any gardners out there who have tried something like this? If so what were the results?

[CurtEastPoint]

1. Sorry but wisteria, while lovely blooming, is a pox on the earth. It spreads like kudzu.

[csziggy]

2. Plus, wisteria stinks!

When I bought my farm, there was a one acre piece out of the side of the rectangle. On that acre, there was a mature pecan tree and an ancient wisteria. The wisteria grew to to top of the pecan, strangling it, and in the spring the stench of the wisteria drifted the quarter of a mile up the slope to the house. Between the wisteria and the privet (ligustrum) blooming, I could not enjoy the spring air since my allergies to sweet scents kept me coughing and sneezing.

When I finally acquired that acre twenty years ago, I went to mow that acre - it had not been mowed or cleared for probably 50 years or more. The many sapling trees were no problem, since they were not small enough to stop the tractor and bush hog mower. My rule when using the tractor to clear an area was if the front of the tractor was not picked up by whatever I drove over, the bush hog would chew it up. Then I hit the wisteria vine, which was bigger around than a large man's thigh. It not only stopped the tractor, it slewed it around and lifted the front tires off the ground, and almost threw me off the seat!

I was very nearly stuck there and it took some maneuvering to back the tractor out without catching the bush hop against a tree and to get the wisteria vine unhooked from the front wheel. The situation redeemed itself in the long run. Apparently the wisteria was damaged enough that the big vine was killed. The pecan tree is still there, doing much better now that it is no longer strangled and shaded by the demon wisteria. There are still wisteria vines down there, but since I fenced in that part to make it part of one of the pastures, the horses tend to keep them under control.

I no longer get the vile smell of wisteria in the spring - that and the power of Zyrtec lets me breath in the spring again!

[rownesheck]

3. Yes!!!!

I hate wisteria! I fought a wisteria plant through hell and back at my last house. I'm still not sure who won that battle. I may have surrendered by moving to a new city.