Wisteria is a beautiful, ornamental vine that can be used for privacy screening or as a flowering vine. This plant is easy to grow, but it can be susceptible to frost damage. If you live in an area where temperatures drop below freezing, you may wonder if wisteria will survive winter.
Can Wisteria Survive Frost?
Wisteria is not frost tolerant and will die if exposed to a hard freeze. However, some varieties are more cold hardy than others and they may survive light frosts. In addition, the timing of the freeze can also make a difference.
How Tolerant Are Wisteria To Cold Weather
Wisteria is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 8. While it can tolerate temperatures as low as 10 degrees Fahrenheit, it prefers warmer weather and will bloom better if planted in the spring so it has time to establish itself before winter sets in.
If you have the space, plant your wisteria where it will receive morning sun and afternoon shade from nearby trees or buildings. This will help protect it from cold winds and hot sun during summer months when temperatures are extreme.
If you’re planting yours indoors, keep in mind that this vine needs plenty of room to grow — even small potted plants can reach 16 feet high!
How To Protect Your Wisteria From Frost
If you want to protect your wisteria tree from frost, there are two ways you can do it. The first is by covering the soil around the plant with a thick layer of mulch. This will prevent cold air from reaching the ground and freezing your roots.
The second way to protect your wisteria from frost is by covering it with a blanket or sheet of plastic during extreme temperatures (below 35 degrees Fahrenheit). You’ll want to keep an eye on how much heat is being lost through these materials so that they don’t cause too much damage to your plant’s leaves and branches.
Caring For Wisteria During The Winter
You should avoid pruning your wisteria in the winter. During this time, it is best to leave your plant alone so that it can rest and spend its energy on repairing any damage caused by frost or other circumstances during the growing season.
It is also important not to fertilize your Wisteria during cold months because it will take up nutrients and won’t be able to use them effectively when temperatures are below freezing. Furthermore, over-fertilizing may cause disease and rot in your plant’s roots or stems.
Another way of caring for Wisteria during the winter is not watering it too much—if at all! Watering plants in freezing temperatures can actually make them more susceptible to diseases such as mildew, so you’ll want to avoid overwatering your plant this time of year if possible.
What Temperatures Will Kill Wisteria?
Wisteria can survive the coldest temperatures, but there is a limit. Before you get too excited about moving your wisteria to a frosty location, it’s important to understand how cold it will have to be for your plant to die.
Wisteria is hardy in zones 5-9. This means that it can live outdoors over winter in these areas and should be able to handle freezing temperatures. In fact, wisteria will actually go dormant during times of extreme cold or drought and grow back stronger after recovering from its dormancy period in springtime (this process is called “vernalization”).
The lowest temperature at which you’ll need to worry about killing your wisteria is -10 degrees Fahrenheit (-23 degrees Celsius). At this temperature—or colder—your plant will begin showing signs of damage after 24 hours or so outside. It might not die right away; if you’re able to bring the plant indoors before it dies completely then chances are good that you’ll be able to revive it when conditions improve again later on when the temperature gets warmer.
Can I Overwinter Wisteria?
Wisteria can be overwintered in the ground as long as it is protected from the cold and snow.
If you want to try this method of overwintering your wisteria plant, dig up the roots and place them in a container filled with soil that has been well amended with peat moss or compost.
The pot should be large enough so that there is room for all of the root system to spread out comfortably inside but not too big that it takes up too much space on your deck or patio. Place this pot under cover (a pergola works well) where it will get some dappled sunlight but not direct sun exposure during winter months.
Keep an eye on how much water your plant needs during dormancy so that it doesn’t over-saturate itself and cause rot to set in later when growth resumes again!
Conclusion
Wisteria is a beautiful, fragrant plant that’s great for adding color and fragrance to your yard. It can be slightly temperamental, though, so it’s important to keep an eye on your wisteria during the winter months if you want it to thrive. If you’re worried about frost damage or other issues related to cold weather, there are some things you can do now before winter arrives so that your plant is ready for any surprises!
