The WISTERIA, also spelled Wistaria… named for American anatomist Caspar Wistar (1761 -1818).

Wisteria is a luxuriant climber, known for its playfulness and adventure.  And oh, how Wisteria climbs!  The vine of the Wisteria engages itself in playful attachment to just about anything it finds… trellises, fences, buildings, columns and poles. The sturdy Wisteria vine travels steadily, wrapping itself both clockwise and counterclockwise, in its quiet search for adventure.

In China, the Wisteria is called the Purple Vine.  The purple blooms fall in eloquent clusters, often thought to look in quiet mediation or prayer.  The vine and blossoms of the Wisteria are considered gentle reminders for our human need for peace, quiet and divine understanding of nature.

The durability of the Wisteria is also one of its most endearing characteristics.  It grows, flourishes and endures in even the harshest conditions or rejection and can live 100 years or more!  Because of this, the Wisteria has also come to symbolize longevity and even immortality.  European families have told stories of fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers kissing beneath the same Wisteria.

Bring your kids outdoors and find some glorious Wisteria vines and blossoms.  If none are in your area, create Wisteria in drawings or paintings… winding them both clockwise and counterclockwise around fences, porches, windows, trees.  Tell your kids of the playful adventures of the Wisteria, while reminding your kids, too, of the humble peace, meditation and prayer the vines and blossoms reflect.

If possible, why not buy a Wisteria vine and plant it… watch it play, and use it for a lovely spot for photographs year after year after year.  Start you own Wisteria Adventure Tradition.