Wisteria is flower in May, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The flowers are pollinated by Insects. It can fix Nitrogen. The flowers can have a sweet or musky scent according to variety, most notably Chinese Wisteria.
Wisteria species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including brown-tail. It is also an extremely popular ornament in China and Japan. Flowers are thoroughly washed and then boiled or made into fritters. The flowers are also cured in sugar then mixed with flour and made into a famous local delicacy called 'Teng Lo'. The leaves contain allantoic acid. They are used as a tea substitute. The young leaves have also been eaten.
The stems and flowers are also used in Chinese medicine. A fibre from the stems can be used to make paper.
The seed of all members of this genus is poisonous. The bark contains a glycoside and a resin that are both poisonous. The seed and seedpod contains a resin and glycoside called Wisterin. They have caused poisoning in children of many countries, producing mild to severe gastro-enteritis.
