Autumn leaf colour of Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) Wisteria sinensis, commonly known as the Chinese wisteria, is a species of flowering plant in the pea family, native to China. Growing 20–30 m (66–98 ft) tall, it is a deciduous vine widely cultivated in temperate regions for its twisting stems and masses of scented flowers in hanging racemes, in spring. It is highly attractive to large bees such as the Violet capenter bee (Xylocopa violacea). Wisteria sinensis was unknown in the west before 1816, when several agents of the East India Company working in China sent cuttings back to England.[1] Over the next several decades the plant became, and remains, one of the quintessential ornamental vines in temperate gardens worldwide. Podere Montecucco, Orvieto, Umbria October 2020