World's Largest Blossoming Plant, Now Even Bigger

The famous Sierra Madre wistaria vine goes on view, for one day only.

What to Know

  • Sunday, March 18
  • Sierra Madre
  • Free to see; $12 shuttle, if you opt not to walk up the hill

Whatever you're doing, know that by the time you reach the end of this sentence, the world-famous wistaria vine of Sierra Madre will be even bigger.

Honestly, and of course, all living things are always in a state of organic flux and change, even as we can't see those typically invisible-to-the-eye variations.

But the World's Largest Blossoming Plant, a designation given to the vine by none other than the Guinness World Records folks, is so massive, and so growthful, that it adds a couple of inches each and every day, it is said.

The plant has also been said to be one of the "Seven Horticultural Wonders of the World."

This blossomer means business.

It has been growing in the same Sierra Madre spot, in the pretty town's pretty foothills, since the late 1800s, and it now has tendril'd its way into a whole different backyard, beyond the backyard where it first began. 

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Patiently practiced ambition, thy name is wistaria.

Because it spreads out in a pair of private backyards, seeing the celebrated purple plant is a bit challenging, except on one special day of the year.

That day for 2018 is on Sunday, March 18, and both backyards will open to the public, giving wistaria buffs a closer look at this superstar sprouter.

Viewing the vine is free, but you may want to take a shuttle up to the homes, if you don't want to make the 15-minute walk from the heart of the village (15 minutes, give or take). A shuttle ticket is $12 for an adult.

There's also a free street festival, with crafts and eats and tunes and local groups, so be sure to wend through the heart of charming Sierra Madre to soak up some of the wistaria-themed winsomeness.

Now we're at the end of this post, and we can say, factually and with total truth, that the wistaria vine in Sierra Madre, the World's Largest Blossoming Plant, is even larger than when we began typing just a few sentences ago.

It's really a marvel of garden-lush Southern California, and if you've caught it at peak bloom, you'll never forget its truly outrageous purpleness.

By the by, it is "wistaria" 'round Sierra Madre, not the more commonly seen "wisteria," but we're pretty sure the vine won't quiz you as you stroll beneath its splendid flowers. It is too busy growing, after all, and it has just grown a little bit more, even as you read these last few words. 

It's now even bigger. And bigger still. And bigger still...

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