I JUST PURCHASED ONE OF THESE BEAUTIES FROM MY LOCAL NURSERY. FORTUNATELY THEY HAVE A PROFESSIONAL WORKING THERE, (they have a weekly radio program on gardening & have written several books), AND I GOT QUITE AN EDUCATION. THE REALLY COOL PART IS THAT THEY HAVE BOTH TYPES GROWING NEXT TO A DRIVEWAY AROUND THE NURSERY. THE ASIAN WAS OUT OF CONTROL TO SAY THE LEAST. IT HAD TAKEN OCER TELEPHONE POLS, TREES, POWER LINES. I AM NOT SURE THERE WEREN'T A COUPLE OF PEOPLE AND PETS IN THAT MESS! THE AMETHYST FALLS AMERICAN WISTERIA WAS QUITE CONTROLABLE AND LOOKED QUITE NICE, LESS THAT ONE THIRD THE SIZE AND THE SAME AGE. THEY TOLD ME TO EXPECT IT TO BLOOM FROM LATE SPRING REPEATEDLY UNTIL FALL. IT WAS HOT( FOR HERE) ABOUT 80 DEGREES AND I FOUND NO PEE SMELL, AND AFTER THE EARLIER POSTINGS I STUCK MY FACE RIGHT IN IT. I PLANTED IT IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ARBOR ABOUT 6 FEET WIDE AND TALL. I WAS TOLD THAT WITH MINIMAL ANNUAL TRIMMING, (LATE WINTER), IT SHOULD BE QUITE HAPPY THERE FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. AFTER THAT I DON'T REALLY CARE). I HAVE PUT BIRD FEEDERS INCLUDING HUMMING BIRD, ON AND AROUND THE ARBOR, AND SO FAR EVERYBODY SEEMS HAPPY. I WAS WARNED TO WATER IT REGULARLY TO KEEP IT MOIST, ESPECIALLY THE FIRST YEAR SO THE ROOTS BECOME WELL ESTABLISHED AND TO FEED IT WEEKLY THE FIRST YEAR THEN MONTHLY DURING THE GROWING SEASON AFTER THAT. SO FAR, SO GOOD, BUT MY NEIGHBORS CAT IS VERY INTERESTED IN IT ALL. I AM GETTING MY AIR HORN OUT FOR THAT ISSUE. ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS OR WAS I GIVEN BAD INFORMATION?

Hi amyta! Have you found something yet? I would recommend Aunt Dee, which is also a Kentucky wisteria and has a less controversial scent than Amethyst Falls. I bought an AF in bud without knowing anything about the fragrance. Oops! I expected it to smell like Aunt Dee (sweet, with violet & hyacinth like notes). I was not delighted with the smell of AF. It does have a musky smell, but itÂs not horrible to my nose, just odd. To me is smells like spicy basil, with a musky note like boxwood (cat urine). One of my sisters loves the fragrance and buries her nose in the blooms to savor it. On the other hand, another sister exclaimed, "What is THAT SMELL?!," the first time she was within a few feet of if. Sister #2 says, "It smells JUST LIKE cat urine." So, different strokes for different folks. Regards, PoseyPlanter

We chainsaw pruned one out here last year, and yes, it's tried to regrow ever since. Luckily (?) for us, it was planted where we can mow it down every time we mow the lawn, and I pull the runners whenever I find them in the garden. My grandparents had one they chain saw pruned as well then pulled out with heavy equipment because it was trying it's best to get into the house via the mortar between the bricks (brick house). Knowing this, I was already keeping an eye on the one we inherited when we bought the Cottage, and when the runners kept appearing in the garden and it failed to bloom it was nearly a forgone conclusion that it was on it's way out. The last straw was finding it covered in japanese beetles.

Thin mature growth in winter as desired and head back new growth in summer to control size.