A Free Wistaria Festival Blooms in Sierra Madre

Wherever you've been, whatever you've been up to, no matter the time of day, there is something in Sierra Madre that's been growing, bursting, unfurling, and breaking records: a world-famous wistaria vine.

How famous is this sizable specimen? It's been noted by the Guinness Books people who crowned it, a number of years back, as "the largest blossoming plant" on the planet.

You'll also see the unstoppable vine called "one of the seven horticultural wonders of the world" with some flowery frequency, but the flowery part doesn't solely stem from how seemingly extravagant such a statement might seem.

The vine also flowers with power, producing a plethora of purple-petal'd blossoms each spring.

Some of the vine's seasonal blooms are more eye-popping than others, and the plant is definitely on its own timeline, which means that visitors to the spot where this Sierra Madre superstar grows might see lush growth or flowers that are juuust beginning to peek out.

Either way, it is an icon, or perhaps "vine-con" is more apt.

And to honor its famous floral resident? The city throws a free festival, one filled with live music, food trucks, and a number of craft booths, with artisans selling handmade belts, stylish ceramics, and lots more.

That party, a sunny send-off to wintertime, will burst forth again, in the heart of the mountain-close town, on Sunday, March 19.

You'll see plenty of wistaria-themed items for sale — Sierra Madre prefers a more traditional "a" in the middle of "wistaria," rather than the commonly seen "e" — and lots of proud locals dressed in all shades of purple.

And why wouldn't they be? Not every village has such a showy celebrity in its midst, one that first put down roots in the late 19th century.

The wistaria vine, by the by, grows across two private backyards, so this is a rare chance to saunter through the gate and see it in an up-close fashion, however much it happens to be flowering on March 19.

It has been a chilly and wet winter, there's no doubt, and the bloom seasons for the tulips of Descanso Gardens and the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve flowers seem to be holding off for warmer weather.

Still, a vine time should be had, and if you want to take a shuttle up to admire this horticultural legend? Tickets are available now. There's a fee to ride up the hill, keep in mind, but in past years simply strolling up the hill and showing up at the private gate hasn't required a ticket.

Do check at the information booth for further details once you arrive in the charming center of Sierra Madre, Southern California's purplest burg.