“It’s a rainbow, it’s a roof, it’s a tree? This 144-year-old Wisteria located in Japan looks nothing like your ordinary tree. With branches protruding out half-a-mile long, standing beneath this tree makes you truly feel like you’ve slipped into another world. A world where an enchanted pink sky hangs like a canopy overhead.
The pink and purple blooms typical to the wisteria tree are spread wildly throughout, extending far and wide. The ginormous vines stretching out of the tree are held up by steel rods placed throughout. Otherwise, the weight of the branches would cause the tree to collapse in on itself–potentially trapping awed visitors inside!
In all seriousness, the steel rods make it possible to venture beneath this tree and see how stunning it looks from the underside. From inside, the light pours in through the brightly colored vines, reflecting off of the flowers in unimaginable ways.
There are wisteria trees in many parts of the world, but one of the most well-known gorgeous giants is located at Ashikaga Flower Park. After looking at these photos I’m ready to book the next flight to Japan!
Planted around the year 1870, this tree has since brought so much delight. The wisteria is at its peak beauty between mid-April and mid-May.
Tourists and locals come to visit this tree, the sights that it offers never get old. Not only is the tree fun to gawk at from all angles, but the vines give off a lovely aroma, reminiscent of grapes.
I love this photo (above) because you can actually see the tree branch in all its curved glory. It’s not really a tree branch but rather a tangle of thick vines. Either way, the trunk’s shape makes this tree all the more mystical in my eyes.
You can see the rods supporting the heavy vines of the wisteria, wisteria that do not have a surface to grow up, or support them, will fall and start to grow into a large heap.
Depending on what time of day you visit, the lighting changes offering a world of diversity. Beware, even though this tree appears beautiful the seeds that it sheds are actually poisonous.
A part of the pea family, the light brown to pale green seeds shed by the wisteria are rather large. Not only are they poisonous, but they are also explosive. When left out unattended, they are known to explode, popping open and splitting apart with a loud sound.
Wisterias look like they have regular tree branches, but they are actually vines. These vines can climb up any nearby support systems, and can grow as tall as 20 meters.
Within only a few years a wisteria can gain a substantial amount of weight. Still, the wisteria will take its time developing to the point where it produces blooms, some take several years. Don’t give up on your wisteria tree just yet, others take as long as 6-10 years to bloom. According to these images, it’s well worth the wait.
Japan’s large wisteria is not the only one, nor is it the largest. There is a wisteria located in Sierra Madre, California that stretches an entire mile long and weighs over 250 tons. This wisteria was planted back in 1894.
If you don’t live close to any huge wisteria trees, at least you can plant and grow your own wisteria. Within one year they can grow 10 feet!
Wisterias aren’t all that hard to look after either, according to the US Plant Hardiness scale they are one tough hunk of bark! Even capable of growing in soil that is of poor quality.
Feeling obsessed with these photos? Wisteria has a way of luring people in, hence the name. Wisteria symbolizes “passionate love” or “obsession” in the Victorian language of flowers.“
John Oliver now holds the American record for largest single giveaway in history, doubling Oprah’s “you get a car!” record – but Oliver did it by forming a debt-collection agency and buying up the debt of Americans who’d defaulted on the sky-high expenses from life-threatening illnesses, then forgiving the debts.
The sums themselves are “zombie debts” – debts that have been long written off and generally don’t have to be paid, which are bought up by collection firms that terrorize their victims and embroil them in difficult-to-navigate litigation that they must execute perfectly, or the debts are resurrected and collected through paycheck confiscation.
Oliver’s segment reveals that while some state houses have made it easier for medical debts to be written off, others have passed laws giving more power to the debt-collection industry, while taking away penalties for abuse and creating the assumption that debt-collectors are in the right (and removing the assumption of innocence for people in debt). He also goes to a debt-collectors’ conference and captures candid footage of industry professionals joking about bullying their victims and ruining their lives.
Oliver’s fake-real debt collection firm, Central Asset Recovery Professionals(CARP, named for the bottom-feeders), cost $50 to incorporate. He was able to buy $15M in debt for less than $60K.
Please watch your step, our jaws are on the floor because of this incredibly awesome Rachnera Arachnera cosplay by French Canadian costumer, cosplayer, and model Marie-Claude Bourbonnais. Every inch of this outstanding costume was handmade by Bourbonnais, who not only sews and builds all her costumes, but also builds props and sets for photoshoots to showcase her phenomenal creations.
“It’s precisely the same. You took me under your wing and practically raised me… I’m your Padawan just like Ahsoka was mine. How well would you sleep knowing I failed you.”
“Not very well, I imagine. Luckily that isn’t true… and never will be.”
