Wisteria floribunda 'Black Dragon' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Wisteria floribunda 'Black Dragon' — 15cm / 1.5L15cm / 1.5L
Double Black Dragon Japanese Wisteria ('Yae-kokuryu')

Wisteria floribunda 'Black Dragon'

£31.99
Very hardySun-lovingRHS award winnerLoved by pollinators
Pot size
15cm / 1.5L £31.99

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Description

The Wisteria floribunda 'Black Dragon' is the dramatic double-flowered Japanese wisteria, prized for the darkest, richest colour in the genus. Also sold as 'Yae-kokuryu' and under the synonym 'Violacea Plena', it carries dense, heavily scented racemes up to 50cm long of fully double, deep violet-purple pea-flowers that hang like ropes of velvet in late spring and early summer. The extra petals give each truss a plush, ruffled texture you simply do not get from single-flowered wisterias.

Among our hardy climbers, 'Black Dragon' is the one to choose for pure drama and depth of colour. Rated RHS H6 and holding the RHS Award of Garden Merit, it is fully hardy throughout the UK and copes with cold to around -15C once established, needing no winter protection. It is deciduous, with fresh pinnate foliage following the flowers, and twines up any strong support you provide.

Wisteria is a heavy, long-lived climber that needs strong support, so fix sturdy horizontal wires or a solid pergola before planting and tie in the young stems as they grow. Water well through the first few summers, then prune twice a year, in mid-summer and again in winter, to build flowering spurs and hold the vigour in check. Its deep, cascading colour makes it a showstopper for screening and privacy, a rich focal point among exotic borders, and a draw for spring bees among our plants for pollinators. For a lighter, free-flowering blue partner, pair it with Wisteria sinensis 'Prolific', and browse the full hardy exotics collection to plan the scheme. As with all outdoor plants, our what to expect guide explains how a garden-hardy climber looks and behaves through the seasons.

Every Wisteria floribunda 'Black Dragon' we supply is nursery-grown, hand-selected for healthy stems and strong roots, and packed with care to arrive in superb condition ready to train.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Double Black Dragon Japanese Wisteria ('Yae-kokuryu')

Plant me in full sun and the coldest UK winters do not worry me.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Double Black Dragon Japanese Wisteria ('Yae-kokuryu')

Wisteria floribunda 'Black Dragon' needs full sun or partial shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is very hardy, standing the coldest UK winters outdoors.

Good for

Architectural Exotic Borders Pots & Containers Screening & Privacy Wildlife & Pollinators

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H6 · Hardy Exotic · down to around −20°C

reliably hardy across the UK with no fleece needed once established.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeSouth-facingWest-facingEast-facingSheltered

full sun ripens the wood and gives the best flowering, though it tolerates light partial shade. A warm, sheltered south or west-facing wall or pergola is ideal.

Soil

ChalkClayLoamSandMoist but well-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH

any fertile, moist but well-drained soil, from chalk and clay to loam and sand, across the full pH range.

Watering

Water regularly through the first two or three seasons to settle the roots, keeping the soil evenly moist. Tie the twining stems into strong wires or a frame as they grow. Prune twice a year, cutting summer growth back in July or August and shortening again in winter, to build the short spurs that carry the heaviest double flowers. Read moreShow less

Water regularly through the first two or three seasons to settle the roots, keeping the soil evenly moist. Tie the twining stems into strong wires or a frame as they grow. Prune twice a year, cutting summer growth back in July or August and shortening again in winter, to build the short spurs that carry the heaviest double flowers.

Mature size

Height8 m
Spread4 m

Reaches full size in 10-20 years

Growth habit

Climbing

Flowering

May-Jun · Purple

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Deciduous

Pruning

Prune in two stages: cut the whippy new sideshoots back to about five leaves in July or August, then shorten them to two or three buds in winter to encourage the long flower trails.

Toxicity

Harmful if eaten. All parts, especially the seeds and pods, are toxic to people and pets if ingested. Wear gloves when handling and keep pruned material away from children and animals.

Native range

Japan (garden origin)

Family

Fabaceae

Also known as

Wisteria floribunda 'Black Dragon'

Genus

Wisteria →
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'Black Dragon' a double-flowered wisteria, and what are its other names?

Yes. 'Black Dragon' is grown for its fully double, deep violet-purple flowers, the plushest and darkest in the genus. It is the same plant sold as 'Yae-kokuryu' and under the synonym 'Violacea Plena' (sometimes 'Double Black Dragon'), all describing this one double, dark-purple Japanese wisteria.

Is Wisteria 'Black Dragon' hardy in the UK?

Yes. 'Black Dragon' is fully hardy across the UK, rated RHS H6 and tolerant of winter cold to around -15C once established, so it needs no protection. It also holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit. See more of our fully hardy hardy climbers.

How big does Wisteria floribunda 'Black Dragon' get?

It is vigorous, reaching around 8m in height with a spread of about 4m over 10 to 20 years, with heavy racemes up to 50cm long. It can be kept smaller and more floriferous with regular pruning, but always give it a strong, permanent framework to carry the weight of a mature plant.

Is 'Black Dragon' fragrant?

Yes. The double violet-purple racemes are sweetly scented, so it earns its place both for colour and perfume. Planted over a seating area or archway it fills the late-spring air with fragrance and draws in bees, sitting well among our plants for pollinators.

How do you care for and prune Black Dragon wisteria?

Plant in full sun in fertile, moist but well-drained soil, water well while it establishes, and feed in spring. Prune twice a year: cut the whippy summer growth back to about seven leaves in July or August, then shorten those shoots to two or three buds in winter. This builds the short spurs that carry the heaviest double flowers.

Where should you not plant a wisteria?

Keep wisteria off gutters, drainpipes, roof tiles and slender trellis, as its heavy twining stems can lift and crush weak structures over time. Grow it on robust wires, a solid pergola or a strong archway with room to spread. Its bold habit makes it ideal for screening and privacy, where it has space to perform.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
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Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

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Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

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Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Wisteria floribunda 'Black Dragon'
£31.99