144 year old wisteria

There Is A 144-Year Old Wisteria Tree That Looks Like A Fairy Pink Sky

There is nothing more beautiful than a Wisteria tree in full bloom, and this one in Japan is among the most exquisite. This 144 year old wisteria is something else!

We’ve heard of the beautiful Cherry Blossoms in japan, and how their delicate flowers gracefully carpet the earth in a most dreamy way, but there’s also another botanical beauty whose flawless stunning nature is currently shining for all of the world to see.

144 year old wisteria

There are a few different types of Wisteria. There are some plant types which are more like vines, and others which are more like trees, but they are all in the vine family.  The flowers and blooms may vary from a light blue, to lavender, to the rosey pink Japanese species.

Japanese Wisteria, or Wisteria floribunda ‘Rosea, boasts long racemes of pink pea-like flowers in the summer against mid-green foliage that turns yellow in autumn.  There is one special, very old specimen, however, which has recently caught the attention of people worldwide.

144 year old wisteria

This plant, located in Ashikaga Flower Park in Japan, is certainly not the largest in the world, but it still comes in at an impressive 1,990 square meters (or half an acre) and dates back to around 1870 (the largest, at about 4,000 square meters, is the wisteria vine in Sierra Madre, California).

This 144 year old wisteria is so big, it fills the sky with pink blossoms

pink and red wisteria flowers

Although wisterias can look like trees, they’re actually vines. Because its vines have the potential to get very heavy, this plant’s entire structure is held up on steel supports, allowing visitors to walk below its canopy and bask in the pink and purple light cast by its beautiful hanging blossoms.

How to grow wisteria

wisteria flowers

If you’d like to grow your own, know it will be a timely process.

If you’re planting Pink Wisteria in spring, summer or dry weather, water well and regularly for the first few months. Keep an eye on young plants and increase watering if there are extended periods of hot or dry weather. If you’re planting in autumn, you may only need to water your tree a little.

Once planted, it is important to keep the area free of competing weeds and grass for the first couple of growing seasons. Happy planting!

Read next: These unique roses look like candy floss

Thomas Nelson
Gardening Expert
Hi! I'm Thomas, one of the founders of The Garden Magazine. I come from a long line of gardeners who used the art of gardening as a way to live long, healthy lives. I'm here to share my knowledge of gardening with the world!