Skip to main content

Image / Wistaria Vine, Sierra Madre

Have a question about this item?

Item information. View source record on contributor's website.

Title
Wistaria Vine, Sierra Madre
Alternative Title
Security Pacific National Bank Photo Collection
Contributing Institution
Los Angeles Public Library
Collection
Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection
Rights Information
Images available for reproduction and use. Please see the Ordering & Use page at http://tessa.lapl.org/OrderingUse.html for additional information.
Description
Wistaria (sometimes spelled "wisteria") was named for Henry Wistar of the University of Pennsylvania in 1818 to honor his contributions to science. Alice Brugman purchased the wistaria plant in a 1-gallon container for 75 cents in 1894 at the R. H. Wilson Pioneer Nursery in Monrovia, California and planted it in front of her home located at 201 West Carter Avenue in Sierra Madre. Henry Fennel added the arbor and in 1918 the Fennels held the first public Wistaria Festival (also known as a Fete), which benefited the American Red Cross. The roof of the original house collapsed due to the weight of the plant in 1931, and Henry Fennel built a second house 200 feet away. The next owner, Mrs. Ida Lawless landscaped the garden and added $100,000 of rare plants. In 1961 the land was subdivided, the wisteria plant cut back, the 1931 house demolished and two new houses were built. Today the vine covers approximately an acre of land at 505 and 535 North Hermosa Avenue. A 1994 Centennial Celebration completely planned, promoted, and implemented by volunteers, won an award from the State of California. The Sierra Madre wistaria vine is listed in the Guiness Book of World Records as the world's largest blossoming plant.
A house completely covered by the Wistaria Vine in Sierra Madre.
Type
image
Format
1 photograph :b&w
Photographic prints
Identifier
00024779
Security Pacific National Bank Collection
Sierra Madre-Residences (Famous Wisteria Vine).
CARL0000028517
http://173.196.26.125/cdm/ref/collection/photos/id/92944
Subject
Wistaria Vine (Sierra Madre, Calif.)
Wisteria--California--Sierra Madre
Vines--California--Sierra Madre
Dwellings--California--Sierra Madre
Lost architecture--California--Sierra Madre
Sierra Madre (Calif.)

About the collections in Calisphere

Learn more about the collections in Calisphere. View our statement on digital primary resources.

Copyright, permissions, and use

If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.

Share your story

Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.

Explore related content on Calisphere: