Introduced to the United States in the early 1800s, Chinese Wisteria is a woody vine that grows rapidly in height and diameter, shading out native shrubs, strangling trees, and excluding other vegetation. Climbing vines can kill sizable trees, opening the forest canopy and increasing sunlight to the forest floor, which in turn favors the vine’s aggressive growth. Exotic wisterias are long-lived, some vines surviving 50 years or more. Vegetative reproduction is their primary means of expansion and they can form dense thickets. Numerous stolons, or above-ground stems, develop roots and shoots at short intervals. Abundant seeds may be carried down-stream in water.
For information on how to eradicate this invasive, view our statement on herbicide use and preferred alternatives for invasive plants.
You can replace this invasive plant with native alternatives. Here are some plants that make superior replacements.
Match your location on the Texas map to the color squares on the replacement plants below to find suitable replacements for your ecoregion.
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