NAME: Japanese Wisteria OTHER COMMON NAMES: Purple Wisteria SCIENTIFIC NAME: Wisteria floribunda COLOR: Purple PLANT HEIGHT: Up to 35 feet ZONE: 5-9 LIGHT REQUIREMENTS: Full Sun - P/Shade SOIL & WATER PREFERENCES: Moderate / Average QUANTITY: 5 Seeds OTHER: Wisteria floribunda (common name Japanese wisteria) is a species of flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae, native to Japan. Growing to 9 m (30 ft), it is a woody, deciduous twining climber. It was brought from Japan to the United States in 1830's. Since then, it has become one of the most highly romanticized flowering garden plants. It is also a common subject for bonsai, along with Wisteria sinensis (Chinese wisteria). The flowering habit of Japanese wisteria is perhaps the most spectacular of the Wisteria family. It sports the longest flower racemes of any wisteria; they can reach nearly half a meter in length. These racemes burst into great trails of clustered white, pink, violet, or blue flowers in early- to mid-spring. The flowers carry a distinctive fragrance similar to that of grapes.