What to Know
- The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino
- Reservations are required on weekends and holidays (in addition to a ticket)
- Find wisteria vines in the Japanese Garden, the Chinese Garden, and near the rose garden
Petals so often surround a flower's pistil, and seemingly point out in all directions, much like the rays of the sun (or at least how we humans frequently draw sunbeams).
Coincidentally, the annual springtime show can prompt flower fans to point in all directions, as every showy specimen seems to bloom at once.
A nature fan can feel this sensation deeply around the last part of March, especially if they're in Southern California and don't quite know which way to look when it comes to seeking out big blossom events.
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We feel pointed in every direction, in short, soon as spring has sprung.
And on the first full day of spring 2022? The poppies are looking great at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, The Flower Fields are bright with Giant Tecolote Ranunculus flowers in Carlsbad, and daffodils are having their delightful day(s) in Julian.
But the spectacular show continues: It's wisteria's week, too, at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, which means if you're a purple-obsessed person, and fully in love with lavender-hued sights, you'll want to make for the San Marino garden as soon as you can.
The vines, which vibrantly hang from pergolas above visitors' heads and drape dramatically along walls and other vertical surfaces, can be admired at a few spots around the gardens, including the Japanese Garden, the Chinese Garden, and a walkway that partially borders The Huntington's rose area, near the tea room (which remains under construction).
No separate ticket is required to view the wisteria vines, but if you visit on a weekend or holiday, you'll need an advance reservation (and keep in mind The Huntington is closed every Tuesday).
But wait: Wisteria whimsy continues on March 27, when the Sierra Madre Wistaria Festival re-blooms, after a two-year hiatus, on the final Sunday of the month.
The inspiration for the sunny event, which is located about 15 minutes northeast from The Huntington? The world's largest blooming vine, which has been growing in a pair of private backyards since the late 1800s.
Update: The Sierra Madre Wistaria Festival will not focus on the vine in 2022, as the homes are in escrow, but rather the historical areas of the charming town. Read more now at the festival's Facebook page.
By the by, "wisteria" is spelled one way at The Huntington, and other places, but it boasts a center "a" in Sierra Madre, which observes a more local, and locally charming, spelling: wistaria.
