• The most beautiful wisteria tree in the world

      June 8, 2013 at 10:00 am
      Austin Frakt

    The 143-year-old tree is in Tochigi, Japan.

    japan

    More images here.

    @afrakt

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      For Fun

    • by Robert Aylward on June 8th, 2013 at 13:47

      Wisteria is common where I live but it’s a vine not a tree, though the vine often is grown next to a tree so that it eventually drapes the tree. I wonder if the wisteria “tree” in Japan is actually the wisteria vine grown next to the tree or is a vine that has been pruned so that it actually became a tree?

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      • by David J. Littleboy on June 8th, 2013 at 18:49

        Wisteria is a vine. The native Japanese and native American versions are different species, but you’d have to delve deeper into the fine print in the wiki articles than I care to to find the differences.

        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisteria_floribunda
        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisteria_frutescens

        These both twist up to the right, but yamafuji (literally “mountain wisteria” (Wisteria brachybotrys)) twists to the left.

        Here in Japan, the Japanese love their wisteria. Being from Boston (which may be a bit chilly for wisteria), I prefer lilac, but wisteria will do in a pinch. Wisteria grows on trees in nature, but is usually provided with an artificial support when used in Japanese gardens, as in all the photos at the link in the original post.

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