Question: Hello-  I am writing to you with a question about L.E. Cooke Co.'s Purple "Cooke's Special" Wisteria.  My question: What is the expected mature height and width of this plant?  I am about to install one of these plants in the garden of my home in Phoenix, Arizona.  If you can help in answering my question, I'd certainly appreciate it.  Thank you.
Sincerely,  Tom

Answer: Hi Tom,

Good choice of wisteria!  The spring blossoms are stunning and the summer re-bloom is what makes this special selection so popular.

Cooke's Special Purple Wisteria Spring Bloom

Summer Re-Bloom of Cooke's Special Purple Wisteria (July 4th photo)

Your size question needs more than a simple answer.  Wisteria is a vine and is only controlled in size and shape by you.  There is no mature height and width - it all depends upon what you allow it to climb on and how far before cutting it back.  The city of Sierra Madre, CA just finished celebrating their annual wisteria festival around a 100 year old wisteria vine with the following from a news report: "The masterpiece wisteria vine growing in California is so large that it has received a place in the 'The Guinness Book of Records'. It has been named as "The largest blossoming plant in the world." This amazing wisteria vine is more than one acre in size and weighs 250 tons. It has more than 1.5 million blossoms every year with 40 blooms per square foot. The branches of this unbelievable wisteria vine reach an amazing 500 feet long."  In other words - the vine can get BIG.  Or you can prune it to the size you want.

Here are some of my photos from a neighbor's home where several vines cover a huge back patio - notice the support and size of the trunks.  They are gorgeous.

Three vines cover this long patio

Cooke's Special Purple Wisteria on a well built patio just for the purpose of showing off this vine.

Like many vines they can take over things.  I have seen wisteria completely take over trees so care needs to be taken where you allow it to climb.  Very beautiful until it kills the tree!

Enjoy your vine.  They are beautiful.

Ron L.