Even the Weeds are Beautiful!

Driving along Highway 17, southbound, toward Pawleys Island you are likely to encounter incredible displays of lush purple flower blossoms hanging off the trees. The purple clusters that pop up along the highways and back roads are magnificent to take in and remind you that nature is, indeed, random and breathtaking. I also find the same clusters along McDowell Shortcut on my bi-weekly recycling trip across town and scattered in among the azaleas of various homes in Murrells Inlet near the marina.

While memories of the gardening antics around the home of actress Marcia Cross a.k.a. "Bree" to a legion of Desperate Housewives fans comes to mind on Wisteria Lane, I thought it would be worth looking into a bit more for the passer by.

Wisteria is actually part of the legume family.  That's right, bean pods. Think pea pods and sweet peas and you are on the right track. There are 10 known species of the woody, climbing plant.  And while they are related to pea pods, don't eat them. Many of the species can be poisonous.  Wisteria originated in southeast Asia and was brought over the the United States after 1816 as a decorative, horticultural addition to southern landscapes.  

Wisteria, is very hardy and fast-growing. It can grow in fairly poor-quality soils, but prefers fertile, moist, well-drained soil. It thrives in full sun.  Wisterias climb by twining their stems around any available support. They can climb as high as 20 m (66 ft) above the ground and spread out 10 m (33 ft) laterally.

In the Southeastern US,  Wisteria is considered an invasive species due to their ability to overtake and choke out other native plants. All of this makes perfect sense as to why Wisteria adorns the porches and pergolas of Charleston in the Spring. It also answers why it looks like it is latching on to other trees and tall shrubbery in Murrells Inlet. It grows by climbing anything that it can latch on to.

​Credit: wikipedia.org/Wisteria