Perhaps, like me, you were warned as a child not to eat the green “beans” of wisteria—the heavy, velvety pods that form after the twining vine has dropped its voluptuous clusters of flowers. But did the cautious adult keeping you safe let you know that the perfumed, pea-like blooms are a sweet treat, and safe to eat? Probably not. So let your inner child rejoice: When wisteria begins to cascade in delectable scent wherever you live, collect a tender handful—for your glass, and for your lunch.
Photography by Marie Viljoen.
Few spring events are as evocative as wisterias in bloom. In late spring the vine’s musky trusses of blossoms are strikingly beautiful (which is why Asian species were imported to North America from Japan and China. They are now considered invasive, since they twine around anything vertical, shading-out other plants and sometimes girdling and killing less robust species.)
Native to the lower Midwest, the Southeast, and the eastern parts of the US, Wisteria frutescens is a better choice for North American gardens. Its racemes of flowers are noticeably fore-shortened and opulently compact, and its scent and color are deeply appealing. (It also blooms after the vine has leafed out, rather than on bare branches, giving the amethyst an effective frame of green.)
All species of wisteria have edible flowers. Like the pea flowers they resemble, they are noticeably sweet, and have a yieldingly crisp texture. Their scent is remarkable. The rest of the plant is considered toxic. Avoid the leaves, stems, and those tempting bean-like pods.
Suspended in ice cubes for long, cool drinks, wrapped inside translucent rice paper for summer rolls, or scattered onto salads, fresh wisteria blossoms are enchanting. I preserve wisteria mainly in the form of syrup, and vinegar (wildly fruity and aromatic), both of which I eke out during the year, in drinks and also in cooked or baked dishes.
To collect wisteria blossoms pick the open flowers individually from the tops of the clusters, leaving the rest, lower down, to open over a few days. Or, if you pick the entire cluster, use the scented, mature flowers for infusions, and the closed (unscented, but good to eat) buds in salads and wraps, or for quick pickles. For the best perfume, collect wisteria in the morning or at night. Do not wash. But do give the flowers a shake to evict ants!
