Mountain Views News          Saturday, March 16, 2013

SPECIAL WISTARIA FESTIVAL SUPPLEMENT


SECTION B

SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 2013

The Wistaria Vine 

Celebrating Sierra Madre’s Most Well Known Landmark

The Vine

Sierra Madre’s 118-Year Old Wistaria* Vine By Phyllis Chapman


In 1894, William and Alice Brugman purchased 
a home on what was then called Piedmont, which 
is now called W. Carter Ave. The house had been 
built one year before by builder Amos Trussell for 
his daughter Winona and son-in-law Edward B. 
Jones when they married. It was the first wedding 
celebrated in early Sierra Madre.

 The Trussells and the Jones had a change of 
plans, sold to the Brugmans and moved away. To 
enhance her new home, Alice Brugman and her 
neighbor Mrs. W. B. Crisp, drove by horse and 
buggy to the R. H. Wilson Pioneer Nursery in 
Monrovia and for $.75 purchased a gallon can 
of wistaria. It was the Chinese Wistaria variety 
(Wisteria sinensis). She planted it in a corner of 
her front porch remarking to her neighbor: “They 
say Wistaria grows fast.” And grow it did.

 Mr. Brugman, a mining engineer, was in Mexico 
when the vine was planted. He died in 1899 
and Mrs. Brugman sold the home in 1906. The 
property changed hands until it was purchased in 
1913 by Henry T. and Estelle Fennel. Mr. Fennel, 
who was a bit of a horticulturist, loved the vine, 
and gave it devoted care, even building support 
trellises.

 Although the Wistaria is a vigorous grower, 
the added support of the trellises may have 
contributed to this vine’s phenomenal growth. 
The arbors prevented the end tendrils from 
hanging down and causing the tender terminal 
buds to die from the added weight. Wistaria 
requires good drainage, certainly provided by 
this hilly, terraced location. There may also be an 
underground spring providing water to the tap 
root. 

 The vine eventually destroyed the original 
home, growing into the walls and fireplace and 
causing the roof to collapse. Mr. Fennel built a 
new home 200 feet to the north (the present 
upper home) and trained the vine to grow up to, 
but not covering the new residence. A portion of 
the foundation of that original home was saved 
to continue to provide support for the vine as its 
branches extended such a distance.

 When the vine was in bloom, the Fennels would 
invite friends to come and enjoy the blossoming 
plant. Visitors also came from Pasadena’s 
main hotels: The Green, 
The Huntington, and The 
Raymond. In 1918, the Fennels 
(cont. on page 6)

VINE - continued from 
page B1

opened the vine to the Sierra 
Madre Chapter of the American 
Red Cross, which sponsored 
a very successful fundraiser 
to help the war effort. 12,000 
people attended the event. 
This was the beginning of 
many Wistaria festivals that 
took place year after year. 
Sierra Madre became known 
as the Wistaria City. Many 
local organizations, including 
the Board of Trade (now the 
Chamber of Commerce), the 
Woman’s Club, the Masons and 
Eastern Star, the Sierra Madre 
Volunteer Fire Dept., etc. were 
involved.

 Many homemade items, fancy 
work, ceramics, artwork, gift 
books, and Wistaria fragranced 
perfume, hand lotion and bath 
salts were sold at booths under 
the vine. Luncheons and teas 
were served, often with young 
Japanese women wearing their 
kimonos.

 The hard work and money 
earned at the vine by the 
Woman’s Club paid off 
the mortgage of their first 
clubhouse. One year the Fire 
Dept. parked 30,000 cars on the 
parking lot that existed in Floral 
Canyon. (This is now Sierra 
Meadow Dr.). Easter sunrise 
services were among vine 
activities. People came from all 
over the world and extra street 
cars were added to handle the 
crowds. Among the famous were 
Fritz Kreisler, Janet Leigh, Mary Pickford, and 
Norman Rockwell. These two helped select the 
festival’s Wistaria Queen. Packard Automobile 
Co. used the vine as a backdrop to advertise its 
automobile.

On December 5, 1936, Carrie Ida Lawless 
purchases the vine property from Mrs. Fennel, 
who was now a widow, for $17,000.00. December 
5th was Mrs. Lawless’ birthday, and according 
to one account, she was making a present to 
herself of the world’s largest bouquet. Also a 
widow, her husband William J (Bill) Lawless 
was mayor of Sierra Madre during 1928-29. She, 
herself, was a successful businesswoman having 
founded the Weaver Jackson Beauty Co. in 
Los Angeles and was active in the community, 
serving as president of the Woman’s Club and 
the Garden Club.

 Mrs. Lawless spent a small fortune (around 
$100,000) enhancing the grounds of her new 
property and caring for the vine. When the 
festivals were held they often lasted for the 
weeks the vine was in bloom, not just for one 
day. Mrs. Lawless, a patron of the arts, also 
sponsored vine activities all year long.

 She hosted art exhibits, musicales, and poetry 
readings. Nearby residents objected to the 
constant activity and took their complaints to 
the City Council. Nothing was done as Mrs. 
Lawless (continued on page B2) vinw VINE 
HISTORY (cont. from B1)

presented the argument that the vine existed 
before these neighbors purchased their 
properties.

 In recognition for her contributions to the 
community, the Garden Club planted another 
Wistaria in the terraced garden on the west side 
of what is today the Solt’s garden. It blooms a 
bit later than the original vine and the plaque 
commemorating the occasion is gone.

 When Mrs. Lawless died in 1942, she provided 
for the vine by leaving a legacy to her nephew 
and heir, Bruce McGill, to continue care of 
the property with a committee headed by the 
Garden Club President. In 1944, the property 
was purchased by Richard and Marian Thayer. 
Marian is the daughter of M. Penn Phillips, 
a well-known developer of desert property. 
In 1944 the vine was overgrown and in poor 
condition. Richard Thayer planned to chop it 
up and get rid of it. A protest was raised and 
an association was formed to protect the vine, 
with money provided to pay property taxes and 
provide year-round care for the vine.

 In 1961, after Richard Thayer died, the lot was 
split. Marian married builder Ronald Cook 
who developed the west side of the property 
with homes and built the present Solt home for 
he and Marian in1962. The upper home was 
sold to Joseph and Marie Feeney who raised 
eight children there. In 1972, Ron and Marian 
sold the lower home to Bob and Nell Solt. In 
the late 1990s, Joe Feeney died and Maria sold 
the property. It was purchased in 2003 by the 
present owners, Dan and Dana Dorrance.

 By the 1970’s Vine Festival activity had about 
ended. It started up again in the late 70’s when 
sponsored for one day each year by the Chamber 
of Commerce. The Sierra Madre Beautification 
Committee was the yearly sponsor in the 1980’s. 
Approximately 500-600 people attended the 
festival each year. In the spring of 1989, Huell 
Howser came to film the vine for his program 
Videolog, which aired on KCET. The next year, 
approximately 6,000 people came to view the 
vine. The festival organizers were unprepared 
for such a turnout; lines stretched for two blocks. 
Howser returned in 1992 to film again for his 
California Gold program. Sierra Madre and 
the Chamber of Commerce quickly organized 
and combined the annual Vine viewing with a 
downtown street fair. A shuttle bus is provided, 
and people procure tickets to see the vine at a 
pre-scheduled time.

 The Guinness Book of World Records has 
named the Vine the World’s largest flowering 
plant. It is estimated that at the height of bloom it 
has 1.5 million blossoms with 40 blossoms per sq. 
ft., weighs 250 tons and has branches that extend 
500 feet. Wistaria is a member of the pea family 
though its seeds resemble a flat bean. Seed pods 
burst open in the summer. The plant is deciduous, 
losing its leaves in the winter. Wistaria seeds were 
brought from China by Marco Polo in the 13th 
century.

 Today, the vine covers approximately one acre. 
Over the years, it has shown distress and seemed 
to be dying. Experts have been brought in from 
Cal Tech, Occidental, and Cal Poly Pomona. 
Correct pruning, treatments with hormones, and 
vitamin B have helped the vine to recover and 
to flourish. To help maintain the Vine’s health, 
records of vine growth and care are now kept on 
a computer log. The Vine seems to produce its 
greatest flowering after a cold winter followed by 
a sudden hot spell.

 What is the correct spelling for wisteria—
wisteria or wistaria? In the Sunset Western 
Garden Book it is spelled wisteria. Sierra Madre 
has always spelled it wistaria. According to L. A. 
County Arboretum and Botanic Garden senior 
biologist Jim Bauml and Librarian Joan De Fato, 
the plant was named to honor Caspar Wistar 
(1761-1818), an American physician and teacher, 
who taught at the University of Pennsylvania. 
Among his accomplishments, he wrote the first 
text-book on anatomy. When the name of the 
genus Wisteria was put into the books, it was 
incorrectly spelled, says De Fato. So, one could 
say that all along, Sierra Madre has correctly 
spelled Wistaria!

 Sierra Madre Mayor Josh Moran, Mayor Pro Tem and Honorary Wistaria Chair, Nancy Walsh, and 
Councilman John Capoccia pose in front of the vine at the Solt residence. The vine has grown from a 
gallon can in 1895 to (estimates) 1.5 million luxuriant lavender blossoms, 250 tons, More than one acre in 
size, 500 foot branches, 40 blossoms per sq. foot. Growth rate (per various experts) from 24. in 24 hours 
to 26. in 48 hours 

 Named by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest blossoming plant in the world Named one 
of the seven horticultural wonders of the world, along with the redwood forest in Sequoia National Park, 
Brazil’s tropical jungle in the Amazon Valley, Mexico’s Xochimilco floating gardens, India’s gardens of the Taj 
Mahal, Japan’s Yokohama rock gardens, and the gardens of Buckingham Palace. 

Photo By E. Chen


Inside this section:

Wistaria Festival Info

Education & Youth

Arts & Entertainment

Good Food & Drink

Best Friends

Homes

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