How to Kill Wisteria Stumps

Wisteria is an ornamental vine with cascades of white or lavender flowers. The plant has deeply divided, almost lacy leaves and soft, grayish-green foliage. However, Chinese and Japanese wisterias are not native to the U.S. and are extremely invasive. These wisterias have deep root systems, and the fast-growing stems root at nodes as they touch the ground. The plant is difficult to dig out, and material left behind will resprout. A two-part approach is the most effective method of removing wisteria permanently, but it requires several applications and subsequent vigilance for new growth.

Pruners
Shovel
Plastic container
Picloram or glyphosate
Water
Pump sprayer
Paintbrush

Instructions

- 1
  Cut off as much of the vine as you can, and remove it to the base, leaving a stump at least 6 inches high. Use a shovel to dig out the stems.
- 2
  Mix either picloram or glyphosate with water, according to package instructions.
- 3
  Spray the picloram on the wisteria vine. Do not spray when there is a wind or when rain is expected. Morning is the best time to spray.
- 4
  Paint glyphosate onto the stump, as an alternative. Glyphosate will move into the vascular system of the stump and travel to the roots. The herbicide takes several weeks to kill the stump, so you will need to watch for regrowth.
- 5
  Reapply whichever herbicide you used in two weeks, to ensure success in killing the wisteria stump.

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