Boasting 116 years of existence, the famous wistaria vine still continues to grow. Standing between its historical past and vivid future, Sierra Madre’s vine is being called the World’s Largest Flowering Plant by the Guinness Book of World Records today. In 1894, William and Alice Brugman purchased it from the old Wilson Nursery in Monrovia in a gallon can for just $.75.
Named one of the seven horticultural wonders of the world, the wistaria vine marked the first public festival to its name back in 1918. Through the years, Sierra Madre has seen enormous increase in the number of visitors flocking to the Wistaria Festival. The 2010 Wistaria Festival that took place yesterday not only saw people walking right up to the gargantuan vine, but enjoying live entertainment, shopping in the local stores and art fair; and dining at the local eateries and the food booths.
All these years, the vine has been nicknamed with names like Glorified Bean, Jack’s Beanstalk, Queen of the San Gabriels, Lavender Lady, Sierra Madre’s Treasure and the Monster. It has grown to the extent that at one point it covered more than an acre of land, and has been estimated to have in excess of 1.5 million blooms when in season.
Via: NBC Los Angeles