Last Updated on 27th February 2023 by Sophie Nadeau
Wisteria is a deciduous climber characterised by its trailing, twining vines, and heavily scented flowers. And should you opt to visit Paris during the late spring (which is one of the best times to visit the city of light if you’re looking to visit sans the crowds but with good weather), then you can expect to find these beautiful blooms throughout the city, notably in Montmartre. Here’s when and where to find the best wisteria in Paris!
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Wisteria Season in Paris
The wisteria season is never a long one, usually lasting a mere few weeks. The pinks, purples, and pops of white that come in the form of trailing wisteria often bloom shortly after Paris’ cherry blossom season. During this time, clematis and horse chestnut trees are also in flower, meaning that the City of Light is filled with fragrant flowers.
When do wisteria bloom in Paris?
Wisteria in Paris tends to bloom around the same time as the wisteria in London. While a good spring means that the flowers can appear as early as mid-April, most of the time the wisteria tends to start to appear towards the end of April, peaking around the beginning of May.
When the weather has been particularly bad, the flowers can bloom later and last up to mid-May. Basically, it all depends on what the weather at the beginning of the year has been like!
If you’re wondering whether a particular spot is blooming or not, then it can be helpful to log into Instagram and look at the most recent posts from that spot to see if the wisteria has fully bloomed or not yet?
Where to see the best wisteria in Paris
Grand Mosquée de Paris
Situated in the chic Latin Quarter area of the city, hands down one of the best places to see the wisteria in Paris is at the Grande Mosquée de Paris. Typically, the best time to see the purple blooms there is during the last week of April and the first week of May.
Visitors to the mosque should note that there is an entrance charge of €3 to visit the Mosque, though this is well worth it to enjoy the central courtyard garden of the close to a century old building.
If you love sweets, then you should also head to the café associated with the Mosque, which sells delicious pistachio, honey, and almond based pastries for €2 each.
Métro Saint-Paul wisteria
On the side street leading off from Métro Saint-Paul (rue de Fourcy) towards the River Seine, there’s a particularly beautiful wisteria plant which tends to bloom a week or so earlier than its other counterparts across the city.
Best seen during day time so as to avoid harsh shadows in the morning or late afternoon, the best shot of these purple Paris blooms includes the typical Parisian street lamp which can also be found along the street.
Square des Deux-Néthes
Situated in the Batignolles area of the 17th arrondissement of Paris, an area awash with small green squares in comparison with many other parts of the city, the entrance to the Square de Deux-Néthes is covered in a beautiful purple wisteria vine.
Rue de l’Abreuvoir
If you’re looking for picture perfect Montmartre, then you’ll surely find it should you opt to visit Place Dalida, a pretty and cobbled square which is named for the iconic singer, Dalida. The road trailing off this leafy space is that of Rue de l’Abreuvoir, named for a long since removed water trough.
Other highlights of Rue de l’Abreuvoir include views of the Sacré-Coeur, as well as La Maison Rose (where all the artists of the 1920s would hang out, including Picasso) to the other end of the street.
During the springtime, the street is also one of the best places to spy wisteria in Paris. There are actually several spots of note when it comes to wisteria along rue de l’Abreuvoir in Montmartre.
Perhaps the most show-stopping set of wisteria is that growing at the top of La Maison Rose, and perhaps most magically, the wisteria on La Maison Rose is actually pink in colour!
Directly next to La Maison Rose, at No. 4 rue de l-Abreuvoir, you’ll soon be able to discover a purple wisteria that is not as fluffy as some of the other wisteria in Paris but pretty nonetheless.
Even further down the road, at No. 9 rue de l’Abreuvoir, there’s another wisteria plant which is beautiful and purple. You should note that all of the wisteria in Paris tends to bloom around a week later than the rest of Paris due to its elevated position above the rest of the city.
Square Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet
For the best view of the Sacré-Coeur sans the crowds, you simply must head to Square Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet, a green space that’s housed on the site of a former Parisian windmill.
Once also home to a tavern by the name of the Tower of Solferino, today the landscaped garden is a great place to enjoy a picnic during the summer months or see the wisteria in Paris come springtime.
Au Vieux Paris d’Arcole
Of all the places in Paris to see the wisteria in full bloom, the quaint café and bistro bar of Au Vieux Paris d’Arcole is probably the most iconic of them all. A two storey high vine spirals across the entirety of the front of the café and tends to be best seen on the last week of April each year.
Set against the backdrop of a medieval street and surrounded by narrow lanes, nearby places of interest include the gravestone courtyard of Paris, as well as Rue des Chantres, one of the oldest and narrowest streets in the city. Elsewhere on Île de la Cité, Notre Dame is well worth a visit, as are the beautiful and medieval stained glass windows of Sainte Chapelle.
La Campagne à Paris
Hands down, one of my favourite things to do in Paris is to discover all of the off the beaten path villages and lesser-known micro-arrondissments which can be found dotted across the French capital.
One of the prettiest of these is La Campagne à Paris, which is to be discovered in the 20th arrondissement. Comprising of four cobbled lanes featuring ivy-clad houses, the district also happens to be one of the best places to spot wisteria in Paris in the springtime.
Avenue Junot
There are several other spots in Montmartre which are worth wandering around, though the Wisteria is not particularly spectacular. Avenue Junot is one of these spots, and perhaps the best wisteria growing on Avenue Junot is that to be found almost directly opposite Villa Leandré at No. 18.
If you want to see some wisteria locations in Paris which are a little more off the beaten tourist track, then take yourself on a self-guided walking tour of Montmartre. Throughout the cobbled lanes and narrow alleyways, there are dozens of wisteria plants in bloom, just waiting to be seen (and photographed).
Rue Lepic
Last but not least, wisteria season or not, you simply cannot miss a stroll along rue Lepic on any trip to Montmartre. Wander along rue Lepic today and you can expect to explore a sweeping street that curves from the top of the Butte Montmartre at Parc Jean-Baptiste Clément and right down the hill to a point where the road transforms into rue des Abbesses.
Nowadays, the road is best-known for its steep incline and a fantastic selection of independent eateries, boutiques, and grocery shops.
The street also happens to be home to the last remaining windmills in Paris, and if you visit the road in the late spring, it’s also where you’ll find wisteria directly below the sign that says ‘Moulin de la Galette’ at the end of rue Tholozé.
Rue des Thermopyles
A little out of the way and far from most other tourist attractions that Paris has to offer, rue des Thermopyles offers one of the very most beautiful lots of wisteria in Paris.
Best seen in mid May (these blooms tend to flower a little later than places such as Au Vieux Paris d’Arcole and that wisteria of Le Marais), be sure to go earlier in the day and mid-week if possible so as to avoid the rest of the crowds.
Avenue Abel François Villemain
It’s worth noting that the wisteria along rue des Thermopyles is not the only wisteria worth enjoying in the 14th arrondissement. Again a later blooming plant, the wisteria along Avenue Villemain is simply charming and offers a lovely photo opportunity for those who venture there.
Rue du Moulin de la Vierge
Last but not least, there is an incredible wisteria tree along rue du Moulin de la Vierge, which is a little street named for a windmill which used to exist on the road. Though a little less aesthetically pleasing than some of the other wisteria in the 14th arrondissement, the tree is nonetheless impressive and smells simply divine.
Sceaux day trip from Paris
Of all the best cherry blossoms in Paris, one of the best places in the Île de France region is actually by taking a day trip from the city to the delightful town of Sceaux. Home to a Château, amazing park, and cute little French town, the settlement also happens to be home to a cherry blossom orchard.
Though many make the trek out to the town to see the blossoms in the spring (you can watch my vlog about it here), what many people fail to do is to explore the town!
However, should you opt to discover the town of Sceaux during spring, you’ll soon learn that there are plenty of incredible wisteria blooms across the town, many of which are picture perfect and smell simply wonderful.
Types of blossom in Paris and blooming schedule
There are actually a number of different flowering trees scattered across Paris. From wisteria to paulownia, there’s no shortage of beautiful blooms during the spring. Here’s a rough flowering schedule for the blossom in Paris:
Plum blossoms: End of February, beginning of March. Some of the best plum blossoms can be found on the Champ de Mars, around the base of the Eiffel Tower.
Magnolias: Beginning of March. Check our guide for where to find the best magnolias in Paris.
Cherry blossoms: End of March until mid April.
Wisteria: Mid April until early May.
Chestnut blossoms: End of April.
Paulownias: These lilac trees are simply stunning and tend to bloom around the end of April. There are huge concentrations of these trees in the 13th arrondissement
Roses: May and June. There is a particularly beautiful rose garden in the Parc de Bagatelle in the 16th arrondissement.
Map of the best wisteria locations in Paris
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Sophie Nadeau loves dogs, books, travel, pizza, and history. A fan of all things France related, she runs solosophie.com when she’s not chasing after the next sunset shot or consuming something sweet. She currently splits her time between Paris and London. Subscribe to Sophie’s YouTube Channel.