Wisteria sinensis (Chinese Wisteria)

Chinese wisteria was first introduced as an ornamental plant in 1916. It has a large number of plants that have been planted and nurtured. The leaves are glossy, green, and pinnately compound, with long oblong leaflets. White, violet, or blue blooms appear on racemes before the leaves emerge in the spring. Each raceme's flowers bloom at the same time, before the foliage has developed, and have a unique grape-like smell. The fruit is a bean-like pod with thick disk-like seeds that is flattened, brown, and velvety. In the summer, they reach maturity and split and twist open to release the seeds. During the winter, empty pods are common.