Evergreen Wisteria Callerya reticulata
Previously known as:
- Milletia championii
- Milletia cognata
- Milletia kiangsiensis
- Milletia purpurea
- Millettia reticulata
- Wisteriopsis reticulata
- Phonetic Spelling
- KAL-er-yah reh-tick-yoo-LAY-tuh
- Description
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Evergreen wisteria is a native of China, NE Vietnam, and Taiwan. Like true wisteria it is a woody climber with racemes of pea like flowers. However, as you can tell from its scientific name, Callerya reticulata, it is not a wisteria although both plants are part of the Legume (bean) family and the growth habit, leaves, flowers and fruit are similar. The genus name is in honor of of Joseph Callery, a French 19th century French missionary who traveled and collected botanical specimens in China. The species name 'reticulata' means 'netted' and refers to the pattern of the veining on the leaves.
This plant is hardy in regions 8-10 so it may be tender in parts of North Carolina. If you have an area sheltered from the winter weather you could try training it up a wall. This plant likes a sunny spot with fertile, well drained, loamy soil with a pH between 5.6 – 7.5. It can grow up to 15 ft tall and 6 ft wide so train it up an arbor, trellis or pergola to provide shade on a summer's day. Surprisingly, it can also be grown in a container. The flowers are scented so place the container where you can enjoy the fragrance. This plant requires moderate watering so don't let the container dry out and feed it with a water soluble fertilizer every 2 weeks. If you want more of them just plant a few seeds or take stem cuttings.
The fragrant flowers make this plant ideal for a fragrant garden but it would also be at home in an aromatherapy garden or a naturalistic landscape.
One the great things about his plant is that it has been used in Chinese folk medicine for many years. It is known as 'Chicken Blood Stem' due to the reddish resin contained within the stems. Traditionally it is used to treat blood, menstrual, and circulation related disorders. As it also has anti-inflammatory properties, it is used to relieve auto-immune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Callerya
- Species:
- reticulata
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- This plant has been used in Chinese traditional medicine for many years and is still used today. It's traditional uses have been to treat many kinds of blood disorders and also auto-immune disease. Recent investigations have shown the presence of flavonoid derivatives that have an inhibitory action on liver cancer cells in vitro. There is also a substance called genistien which has shown anti-cancer, anti-diabetes and anti-oxidant properties. Work is being done to investigate its use as a palliative cure for breast cancer. Genistien is also toxic to parasites like flukes, roundworms and tapeworms without being harmful to the host.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- China, NE Viet Nam, Taiwan
- Distribution:
- US, Japan, China, Japan
- Wildlife Value:
- This plant is food for the caterpillars of the Celastrina argiolus, Holly Blue butterfly (North America), Curetis acuta, Angled sunbeam butterfly (Indomalayan region), and Lampides boeticus, Pea blue or long-tailed blue butterfly (Iberian peninsula) It is pollinated by Ants, Beetles, Fies, Thrips, and Wasps.
- Climbing Method:
- Twining
- Dimensions:
- Height: 12 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Vine
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Climbing
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Fine
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Loam (Silt)
- Soil pH:
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 3 feet-6 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Legume
- Fruit Length:
- > 3 inches
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- The fruit is a pod which ripens to black as the season progresses. It can contain from 1 to 10 oblong black seeds. The pod will burst open when fully ripe and scatter the seeds as far away from the parent plant as possible.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Irregular
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- The flower on this plant is in the form of a raceme, or hanging bunch, of small, pea-like flowers in bluish-purple with yellow centers. The racemes can be 6 – 8 inches long and are carried in the axils of the leaves near the ends of the branches. They have a light perfume reminiscent of camphor or cedar. The removal of spent flowers will encourage blooming and prevent the formation of pods.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Papery
- Smooth
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Lanceolate
- Oblong
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- The leaves of this plant are compound being made up of between 7 and 13 leathery leaflets. Each of these leaflets measures 1 – 3” long and less than 2 inches wide. They are somewhat oval in shape with a pointy tip. They feel papery to the touch.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Red/Burgundy
- Surface/Attachment:
- Lenticels
- Bark Description:
- The bark on this plant begins with an attractive reddish-brown coloration which darkens to brown as it matures.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Form:
- Straight
- Stem Description:
- The stem of this plant begins as a soft twining growth with an attractive reddish-brown color. As it matures it sends out many branches. Over time it becomes more and more woody and the color changes to brown. It can become a very thick stem or thin trunk.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Naturalized Area
- Vertical Spaces
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Asian Garden
- Butterfly Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
