Wisteria

Among the most fragrant of spring flowers is the Wisteria (pronounced: wĭs - TĬ' - rēə). There are several species in the genus, one of which is native to the southeastern portion of the US, and the others are native to China, Korea, and Japan. American Wisteria (Wisteria frutescens) prefers wet soil, so it is found mostly in moist, woodland areas, and has smaller racemes of flowers than its Asian cousins. I have lived in the southeastern US all my life, but I don't think I've ever seen it. Because the racemes of flowers of the Asian varieties are larger and more fragrant, those are the preferred varieties of gardeners.

The two most common of the Asian species are Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) and Japanese Wisteria (Wisteria floribunda). According to Wikipedia:

W. floribunda (Japanese wisteria) twines clockwise when viewed from above, while W. sinensis twines counterclockwise when viewed from above. ^[2]

Based on the above information, the Wisteria in our yard is Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis), since it curls in a counterclockwise direction. I remember when I was a child, my father planted some Wisteria for my mother. He tended to it very carefully and let it twine up a wooden stave. Keeping it pruned as it grew, it finally took on the semblance of a tree, and the blooms were so pretty. He hated the mess which the flowers made on the lawn as the petals dropped, and frequent pruning was necessary to keep the vines in-check, but he did it, lovingly, for my mother's enjoyment.

The flowers smell sweet and the fragrance permeates the air nearby when they are blooming. The only downside to the Asian varieties is that they are rapidly-growing, prolific vines that are very difficult to control. I have spent hours — literally — pruning, cutting, and pulling Wisteria vines out of trees and bushes, and it is not fun. A couple of miles from the house, there is a spot where Wisteria has grown, unchecked, in that manner and it makes a stunning display in the springtime:

Although most Wisteria species have purple or bluish-purple flowers, there are white varieties, too, such as Wisteria frutescens 'Nivea'  and Wisteria sinensis 'Alba.' The following photo shows a White Wisteria bush that someone has grown not far from where I live: