Wisteria floribunda 'Alba' – A Magnificent White Flowering Wisteria with Sweet Fragrance
Wisteria floribunda 'Alba' is a spectacular deciduous climbing vine, celebrated for its graceful, cascading clusters of pure white flowers and delightful fragrance. This Japanese variety of wisteria is known for its long, pendulous blooms that appear in abundance during spring, making it a favourite choice for gardeners looking to add elegance and fragrance to their outdoor spaces. Perfect for trellises, pergolas, and garden walls, 'Alba' brings both beauty and a soothing scent to any landscape.
Seasonal Beauty & Growth
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Spring: In late spring, Wisteria floribunda 'Alba' bursts into bloom with its breathtaking clusters of creamy white flowers. These long, trailing blooms can measure up to 30cm (12 inches) long and hang down like a waterfall, creating a stunning visual display. The sweet, honey-like fragrance fills the air, attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies.
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Summer: After the flowers fade, the vine’s lush, green foliage takes over, providing a dense canopy that offers cooling shade. The leaves are large, pinnate, and vibrant, creating a beautiful contrast against the vine's bare branches, which remain an attractive feature in the garden.
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Autumn: As the growing season comes to an end, the foliage of 'Alba' turns golden-yellow before dropping. This subtle autumn colour change marks a peaceful end to the vibrant display of earlier seasons.
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Winter: In winter, Wisteria 'Alba' presents an interesting, architectural shape, with bare stems that create a striking framework on trellises or pergolas. Its twisting vines remain a structural feature of the garden, adding texture and character to the colder months.
Structure & Form
Wisteria floribunda 'Alba' is a vigorous, fast-growing climbing vine that can reach heights of 9–12m (30–40ft), making it ideal for covering large vertical spaces. It has a strong, twining habit, and once established, can create a dense, beautiful canopy of flowers and foliage. The cascading clusters of white flowers are one of its most defining features, creating a stunning focal point in any garden. The vine’s leaves are a rich green, which provide excellent coverage and shade throughout the summer.
Ideal for Various Landscapes
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Pergolas & Arches: 'Alba' is perfect for growing over pergolas, arches, or garden gates, where its fragrant white flowers can be enjoyed up close. The cascading blooms create a romantic, enchanting atmosphere, perfect for creating a private retreat in your garden.
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Walls & Fences: This wisteria variety is ideal for covering garden walls, fences, or trellises, providing an elegant vertical display. Its vigorous growth and fragrant flowers transform any structure into a beautiful, living feature.
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Garden Features & Specimen Plants: Wisteria 'Alba' works beautifully as a specimen plant, adding charm and visual interest to the garden. It’s perfect for larger gardens, where its height and spread can make a dramatic impact.
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Cottage & Woodland Gardens: 'Alba' fits well in informal garden settings, especially cottage or woodland gardens, where its cascading flowers and naturalistic growth form a lovely contrast with other plants and trees.
Growing Conditions & Care
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Position: Wisteria floribunda 'Alba' thrives in full sun for the best flowering, although it can tolerate partial shade. For optimal growth and bloom, it should receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day.
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Soil: It prefers well-drained, fertile soil but is adaptable to most soil types, including clay, loam, and sandy soils. Good drainage is essential to prevent waterlogging and root rot.
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Hardiness: Fully hardy in temperate climates, Wisteria 'Alba' is well-suited to withstand cold winters and moderate frost. It can be grown in a variety of climates, provided the winter temperatures do not dip too low.
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Maintenance: Wisteria 'Alba' requires regular pruning to keep it in shape and encourage prolific blooming. Prune in winter to remove dead or damaged wood, and again in summer to control its growth and promote stronger flower production. Deadheading spent flowers helps to improve the vine’s blooming potential in subsequent seasons. The vine will also benefit from being supported on a trellis or structure, as it needs a strong framework to grow and display its flowers effectively.
Why Choose Wisteria floribunda 'Alba'?
Wisteria floribunda 'Alba' is an elegant, fast-growing vine that adds timeless beauty and fragrance to any garden. Its pure white, cascading flowers are perfect for creating a dramatic spring display, and its lush green foliage provides texture and shade throughout the summer. Whether you’re looking to cover a pergola, trellis, or wall, 'Alba' is a stunning choice for bringing grace and fragrance to your landscape.
Perfect Plant Combinations
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Other Climbers – Pair with Clematis or Roses for complementary flowering vines, offering a range of bloom times and flower forms to extend the growing season’s visual interest.
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Flowering Shrubs – Combine with Hydrangea or Viburnum for a mix of colours and textures, offering year-round beauty and seasonal contrasts.
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Perennials & Grasses – Underplant with Hostas, Astilbe, or Daylilies to create a layered effect with contrasting foliage and complementary colours around the base of the vine.
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Evergreen Foliage – Pair with evergreen plants like Boxwood or Euonymus for year-round structure and to provide a green backdrop that contrasts with the seasonal blooms.
Wisteria floribunda 'Alba' is a truly stunning, fragrant vine that offers an unforgettable display of white flowers each spring. Its rapid growth and cascading blooms make it an ideal choice for creating a feature in any garden or outdoor space. Whether used as a climber on a pergola, trellis, or wall, or as part of a larger garden design, this elegant wisteria will add beauty and fragrance to your landscape for many years to come.
Does the height include the pot?
No, we measure from the top of the pot to the tip of the plant except for some of the instant planted screens, in this case it will be stated in the description
How long does delivery take?
Most orders are delivered in just a few days, Smaller items are often sent with Parcelforce on a next day service, Larger items should allow up to 10 days due to the size of the items they often have to be sent on our own transport.
Where will you leave my plants?
We will leave your order at the front of your property, Parcelforce may
leave your items in a safe place if you let us know, Pallet couriers
will require a flat hard surface to deliver to, no gravel or soil, a
driveway or parking spot would be best. Most importantly Deliveries by
pallet courier will require access for a large truck (bin lorry sized)
to get near the delivery point. Deliveries sent on our own transport may come in a small van or larger truck.
