WOOLAND WALK WITH WISTERIA

Yes, I know there are lots of wisteria blips but this was an emergency. I had to stay on home territory today.

I could have straightened this picture but the fact is, everything really is leaning. This is very steep terrain. The pergola is three terraces up from the house and the climb very nearly killed me. This hillside was once covered in grape vines but is covered now with trees, tree heather, and wild flowers. Trees that grow on these terraces often give up and topple over with a resounding screech and crash.

This vine is now scrambling up to the next terrace and right up a pine tree. Some people call it wistaria on the theory it was named after a man called Wistar. But there is another theory that it was named after a man called Wister. Curious that both men should have such similar names.

Wisteria is a member of the pea family and if not pruned, as ours isn't, will cover vast territories. There is one whole hillside covered with it near here but the largest wisteria known is in California where, in Siera Madre, it covers an acre and is estimated to weigh 250 tons.