RHS WISTERIA: THE COMPLETE GUIDE

RHS, £40

ISBN 978-1907057885

A superb and richly detailed monograph that looks in detail at one of the UK’s most popular genera of summer climbing plants. Reviewer Rory Dusoir is a Kew-trained gardener and writer.

In the short time since its introduction to the West (approximately two centuries), the genus Wisteria has twined itself into a position of preeminence among climbers and is a ubiquitous part of our horticultural and architectural landscape. Although there are few species, and comparatively little hybridising work has taken place, this monograph by botanist James Compton and nurseryman Chris Lane is more than justified by Wisteria’s rich history in cultivation and its huge popularity.

Compton is currently engaged in studying the taxonomy of Wisteria and related genera and the authors do not miss the opportunity to describe its morphology and classification in great detail, including a thoroughly researched nomenclatural history and a description of similar plants. This renders certain parts of the book unavoidably technical, but

these are leavened by the authors’ clear and direct prose and plentiful photographic illustrations. It is quite clear that the authors have a lifetime of horticultural experience growing and appreciating the genus, and the benefit of this is shared masterfully in a generous chapter on cultivation, including the last word on Wisteria pests and diseases, establishment, pruning, training and propagation.

Perhaps the most compelling passages of the book are those describing its history in cultivation. It is thrilling to imagine the excitement with which the earliest introductions were distributed in the West. Accounts of how the genus won its place in western culture, as well as its venerable history as a cultural icon in the East, are underpinned by a further chapter on some of the most famous, oldest and largest specimens on both sides of the world. An indispensable book.