Wisteria is a perennial vine with vigorous vigor. It usually grows on porch trellises in spring and early summer. You will surely be attracted and overwhelmed by the purple or blue flowers that grow in clusters.
Wisteria is a plant that grows rapidly and invades every space around it. It is usually up to 30 meters long and has a very heavy weight. The flowers of this plant are very fragrant, so insects are easily attracted and often appear during the blooming season.
Does Wisteria attract bees? Are bees harmful to Wisteria in large numbers? Does Wisteria need bees for pollination? Let’s find out the details in this article.
Does Wisteria Attract Bees?
Wisteria has a bee attraction.
Wisteria belongs to the legume family which includes soybeans, peas, clover, and peanuts. Legumes often have nectar and pollen in large quantities. So they not only attract bees but also many other insects.
Wisteria has clusters of purple, pink and blue flowers that are not only brightly colored but also contain large amounts of pollen. In particular, the flowers of this plant have a very fragrant smell and attract insects to suck nectar. Wisteria is like a magnet that attracts bees to pollinate.
This plant only blooms for a short time but in extremely large numbers. Wisteria usually blooms early in late May or early June. Their fragrance will cover an entire area and attract anyone or insects.
Therefore, bees often gather around the time this plant blooms to enjoy the sweet nectar. This is also a great opportunity for Wisteria during pollination.
Do Bees Pollinate Wisteria?
The answer is of course yes. Bees will help this plant carry out pollination faster and more efficiently. As you know, the pollination of Wisteria is completely dependent on nature such as wind and insects.
This plant produces male and female flowers, so female flowers need to be pollinated by male flowers to produce results. So bees play an important role in the pollination of Wisteria.
The fragrant flower clusters and abundant nectar will attract bees to collect honey and move from one flower cluster to another. So pollination will be done faster than waiting for strong winds.
The fruit of Wisteria is small, light green, or brown. However, you should not eat this fruit because it is poisonous. Humans and pets when ingested in large quantities will be dangerous to life.
However, Wisteria is not toxic to bees. This sounds ridiculous, but it’s true. Nature is amazing to create a plant that depends on bees for pollination that wouldn’t evolve to poison the insects they need to survive.
What Other Insects Are Attracted To Wisteria?
Wisteria attracts all types of bees such as bumblebees, carpenter bees, and honey bees. Besides, this plant also attracts other insects such as wasps and butterflies.
In addition to bees, butterflies also regularly flock to Wisteria’s blooming season. Plants with vibrant flowers, attractive aromas, and large amounts of nectar are always surrounded by different types of butterflies, especially in the early summer months.
Even moths often gather to collect nectar. Butterflies also play an important role in pollinating Wisteria. They facilitate pollination between the male and female flowers of Wisteria.
Read more: How to Pollinate Zucchini Without Bees: The Right Way
What Insects Harm Wisteria?
Not all insects are as beneficial to Wisteria as bees and butterflies. Besides, many kinds of insects or insects are also attracted by the fragrance of this plant which can harm it.
Some pests are harmful such as aphids, long-horned caterpillars, or scale. They will attack and spread to the entire trunk and cause them to wither every day. To prevent Wisteria destroying insects, you need to monitor and observe every day to detect early signs of these insects.
If you find branches infested by pests, remove them immediately to avoid the pests spreading and attacking other branches. However, you need to be careful in using pesticides because they will harm the bees and butterflies.
Meanwhile, you find ways to attract bees and butterflies to pollinate any plant, the use of pesticides will destroy this. You can use natural deterrents to deal with this intrusion.
Should You Grow Wisteria Near Your Home?
If you plan to grow this plant near your home, you should think again. Because Wisteria is a plant with a strong vitality and extremely large roots. They will encroach on the entire surrounding area and any open areas such as patios or roofs.
Its roots can attack and destroy surrounding plants or soil components. In addition, Wisteria has a fragrant aroma and abundant honey will attract many insects such as bees and butterflies. It can also cause discomfort and nuisance when insects fly into the home, especially for families with children.
Therefore, you should plant this plant outside the gate or in an area with few other crops. In particular, you also need to control their length and weight with regular pruning.
Final Conclusion
Wisteria is a plant that brings an overwhelming beauty to your garden. Clusters of purple, blue or pink flowers will create a romantic and extremely attractive scene.
The fragrance and a large amount of nectar of the wisteria flower will attract swarms of bees and butterflies during their bloom. These insects will benefit from the faster and more efficient pollination of Wisteria.
However, you should not eat the fruits of plants because they are poisonous and harmful to the health of humans and pets. In addition, some other insects will harm Wisteria such as scale, aphids, and worms.
To prevent these plants, you need to watch for early signs. You should prioritize dealing with natural control methods instead of using pesticides because it will harm the bees and butterflies that come to pollinate.