Wisteria & Clematis?

Would it be a good or bad thing to try to grow a Lavender Charm clematis with a wisteria vine on a black wrought iron arbor? Would either one of them be likely to over power the other? This is the clematis


http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/6467/

This is the arbor and it has nothing planted on it yet.

If it's one of the Asian wisterias (W. sinensis or W. floribunda) then I don't think the Clematis stands a chance, they are very big aggressive vines that will take over everything (honestly you probably don't want them in your yard even by themselves). American wisteria (W. frutescens) is much better behaved, but I'm not familiar enough with it to know if it would still be too aggressive for the Clematis or not, definitely a better choice overall though.

I would definitely not try an Asian wisteria on that little arbor either, they are way too big and really need something larger. Not sure about the American wisteria, hopefully someone else can comment on that.

People grow roses and Clematis together all the time and both of them would be appropriate for an arbor that size, maybe you could consider that combination instead?

I know and roses and clematis are beautiful together... But I am not that great with roses.

I had already bought this wisteria I think it is American but I need to look at the tags again. I have some seeds to the japanese.... Are you saying I might regret planting them? I haven't yet, but was thinking of planting them out among some trees that are away from the house. we have 3 acres and i think it would be pretty out there...

Hoefully someone can advise me about the American Wisteria...

The Asian wisterias can get big enough that they can damage trees, I wouldn't plant them there if I were you. Plus they send their little runners everywhere, so before you know it that whole area of your yard will be choked up with wisteria and you'll have a really hard time getting rid of it. Also, wisteria from seed can take many years to bloom (I've heard 7-10), so that's not the best way to start it if you want to enjoy the blooms anytime soon.

The American wisteria is nicer and better behaved, won't send runners everywhere like the other ones and is overall not nearly as aggressive, but it's still a big heavy vine so I still think it might be a bit much for that arbor. Hopefully someone who's grown it can tell you for sure though!

I think the arbor is heavier that it looks in the pics. It is wrought iron, and is really not leaning as it appears in the pic... It is a terrible pic...taken on the way into the house after spending about an hour taking flower pictures...

This message was edited Sep 29, 2007 10:26 PM

It's also the size, wisterias are big vines and even with the better behaved ones I think that arbor might be a bit on the small side for it, they need more room to spread out.

the american.. can get to be 20' tall.. and the foilage can also cover a clematis... but perhaps the clematis would grow through it... or stay lower in the sun... under the wisteria.. it's hard for me to say... as each vine has different ways around different obsticles and problems.. and till you plant them together .. in a particular place.. ya never know what either will come up with to keep it's self happy..
but you can allways grow the bigger vines and prune them down some...which will effect the flowering some... the American wisteria is pretty contineously flowering.
Gordon

I have about decided to plant the clelmatis in another location and to plant smaller lightweight annual vines to go in with the wisteria. Something like morning glories, that would just grow lightly over the wisteria and would die each year so that it will not be a build up of two permanent plants fighting each other. I have LOTS of morning glory seeds, so I could try different ones each year... does that sound more doable?