wisteria

noun

wis·​te·​ria wi-ˈstir-ē-ə 

variants or less commonly wistaria

wi-ˈstir-ē-ə 

also

-ˈster- 

: any of a genus (Wisteria) of mostly woody leguminous vines of China, Japan, and the southeastern U.S. that have pinnately compound leaves and long racemes of showy blue, white, purple, or rose papilionaceous flowers and that include several (such as W. sinensis and W. floribunda) grown as ornamentals

Illustration of wisteria

Examples of wisteria in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Lucy Vail’s contribution, Pastoral Inspiration, offered a floral reinterpretation of Alfred Sisley’s The Small Meadows in Spring, while Rob Van Helden transformed the Lecture Room with a sweeping wisteria tree and a delicate miniature writing desk. —Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025

Spring brings a lush wisteria canopy, summer ripens the citrus groves and autumn drapes the courtyard in gold. —Spencer Elliott, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025

Look for American wisteria (Wisteria frutescens) for similar clusters of lilac-purple flowers, but without the invasive tendencies. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 5 Jan. 2025

The generous garden, developed with the firm Brook Landscape, features a firepit, an outdoor kitchen, and a very aggressive wisteria. —Michael Boodro, Architectural Digest, 9 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Wisteria, from Caspar Wistar †1818 American physician

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for wisteria

• arteria
• bacteria
• criteria
• diphtheria
• egeria
• listeria
• neisseria
• cafeteria
• cyanobacteria
• mycobacteria

Kids Definition

wisteria

noun

wis·​te·​ria wis-ˈtir-ē-ə 

variants also wistaria

-ˈtir-ē-ə 

also

-ˈter- 

: any of a genus of mostly woody vines of China, Japan, and the southeastern U.S. that belong to the legume family and have leaves with numerous leaflets and showy blue, white, purple, or rose flowers in long hanging clusters

Etymology

named for Caspar Wistar 1761–1818 American physician