My four year old snapped this picture as I was out back showing her our wisteria.  I believe it was the first thing I ever planted on my own when we got our house and I was so proud because it just took off.  It seemed to thrive and wound its way up and over our fence.  I have always associated it with the South but have never known anything about it so I set out to do a little research.  First, I had no earthly idea it is a member of the pea family.  That includes ten species native to China, Japan, Korea, and the Eastern United States.  Marco Polo brought seeds out of China in the 13th century.  Wisteria climbs by twining its stems around any available support.  Its reach is as high as 65 feet and can spread as much as 32 feet laterally.  And they have been known to live for 250 years.  Like my beloved honeysuckle, I had no idea they could be invasive; here I was thinking I had a green thumb.  Japanese poet Yosa Buson said, “In pale moonlight / the wisteria’s scent / comes from far away.”  The world’s largest known wisteria vine is in Sierra Madre, California, weighing 250 tons and measuring more than an acre!  I’ve never wanted to see the world’s largest ball of yarn or Cadillacs sticking up out of the ground,  but I sure would love to see that!