Wisteria, which is considered hardy, is a climbing plant and therefore requires a climbing aid. Of course it can also grow on a pergola, but this should be very stable, because wisteria grows quite vigorously and has a corresponding weight.
If you want to plant wisteria on your terrace, then make sure the flooring is easy to clean. After the flowering period, the lush decoration withers and falls off. This can sometimes cause large stains if you don't sweep daily.
What alternative is there to a pergola?
As an alternative to the pergola, you can also let your wisteria grow on a wall. But it shouldn't be the wall of your house because it can cause significant damage there. Wisteria uses even the smallest cracks in the plaster to grow there. This causes the plaster to chip off quickly. It also presses in gutters due to its twining growth.
It's better to give the wisteria a climbing aid on the house wall. However, this should be installed at a sufficiently large distance so that the plant does not bend or dismantle the framework.
As an alternative to the pergola, solid steel rose arches and robust fences are also available. Wisteria will even completely overgrow trees if you let it grow. However, young trees do not always survive this attack.
What should I consider when building a trellis?
You can buy a ready-made pergola or trellis. However, the self-built version is more individual. Steel is a suitable material because wisteria develops unexpected strength as it grows. A wooden structure generally cannot withstand these forces. The strips are torn apart and any wires that may have been used grow into the shoots and tear.
The most important things in brief:
- strongly twining shoots
- high weight
- strong growth
- Wires grow in easily
- Rain gutters can be dented
- necessarily needs a stable climbing aid
- ideal: foundation firmly anchored in the ground
Tip
If you want to let your wisteria grow on a pergola, then make sure it is particularly stable. A lightweight variant cannot withstand the enormous growth of wisteria.
