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Garden Blog

Wisteria seedpods dangle from my arbor now

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July 28, 2008 10:23 am
By Sheila Lennon

wisteria_pods_560.jpg
American wisteria seedpods with raindrops


I'm growing American wisteria, entwined as part of a crowd of clematis and morning glories on a wooden arbor. As I walked under it, I bumped into a giant green bean (or a small pod from Invasion of the Body Snatchers, if your mind turns that way). It had to contain seeds.

A quick leaf comparison showed it was the wisteria, not the clematis, that was reproducing.

Now what? Nothing, really. In fall, they will brown and dry and spectacularly burst open one day, spreading their seed in all directions. I will probably not be there to see that. The pods are poisonous (except to giraffes and monkeys), and clematis are better propagated by stem cuttings unless you won't need to see a bloom for years.

They can be used for crafts-- How to Make Christmas Ornaments From Wisteria Seedpods sadly lacks a photo. This photo suggests how they might resemble ornamental icicles when painted, though.

I'd never seen one before, and now I have.

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