Mysterious Wisteria

If I could go back in time to last September or October and tell my past self that the most difficult thing I would have to do in AP Biology in the second half of May was find and identify a bine in the amphitheater, my past self would have laughed in my face.  However, during a scavenger hunt only two of the thirteen students in our class could identify and name the Wisteria, a climbing bine, in our very own amphitheater.  So what is a bine? The autocorrect on my computer doesn’t even think that “bine” is a real word.  A bine is a climbing plant that climbs by its shoots growing in a helix around a support whereas a vine uses climbing tendrils or suckers to grow and climb.

The wisteria in amphitheater 

Wisteria are woody climbing bines, most of which are native to Asia and some of which are native to America. The American wisteria is recommended as an alternative to Asian wisteria which are classified as an invasive species in the United States.  An invasive species is a non native species to a specific area which tends to have negative effects on the other species of the area.  Invasive species can cause damage to the environment, human economy, or human health.  Van Vleck Gardens is home to two invasive Wisteria species, Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) and Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis)

It sure looks pretty

So why would Van Vleck allow something to grow in the amphitheater that's so dangerous to the native organisms? These species of wisteria can tear off gutters, bend iron railings, strangle trees, and smother entire woods and hillsides.  Without proper care, these suckers could take over the world (*this might be a slight exaggeration*).  In all honesty, I'm not sure why wisteria is grown in Van Vleck other than for the aesthetic of the beautiful, fragrant flowers.

So, if you're like me in September and couldn't care less about some purple plant, if these nasty bines start growing in your yard, you might want to start worrying.