DE-VINE (The ability to inch along at imperceptible speed)
Wisteria vines are simply amazing. Why is this, one may ask? Allow me to explain.
After building our house a decade or so ago, we endeavored to plant, plant and then plant some more. A newly constructed house needs a lot of pretty plants and trees to bring enjoyment and make it look appealing. Well, my wonderful wife always wanted a wisteria vine which we just so happened to have the perfect place for...the back yard deck. Since it's covered but open air, her timber columns and beams make it a perfect location for this soon to be meddlesome, needy plant. I can say this out of personal experience. Our wisteria vine grew from a small several inch plant to a 40 foot long monstrosity in just a few years. We trained her to grow exactly where we wanted, up the left hand column and across the breadth of the support beam. It was a long journey but she made it, unapologetically crushing the metal gutter as she progressed.
I didn't appreciate that very much.
Along the way, we observed not less than a few amazing characteristics our Lord had designed into this plant. Wisteria, like most vines, have the ability to inch along at imperceptible speed. The very tips of new growth seek out and grasp nearby surfaces, clinging to them with amazing agility. They do not linger for long, always seeking new surfaces to conquer, growing exponentially and unforgivingly. Several inches below the very tips of all new shoots the stems are lined with countless tiny little hairs which only grab in one direction helping the vine to attach itself as it grows. I find this characteristic particularly fascinating. Once it attaches, the hairs are replaced by a hard outer shell. The vines also support one another as they grow, forming a seemingly impenetrable barricade of criss-crossed branches. The root system is equally evasive and can easily travel distances longer than the vine itself. Once in full bloom, the birds love to nest deep undercover while nursing their eggs, which the girls love.
If you've got time, patience and a good pair of pruning shears, Wisteria is a plant one can only truly appreciate most effectively over a long period of time. If they could only talk.
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