![]() Still going strong at 1,200 years old, the Sainokami no Fuji is a noble tree that continues to nurture Japanese people’s love for flowers. “I heard that an elementary school student once wrote in her composition, ‘The Sainokami no Fuji is the flower of our heart.’ With its long history of over 1,200 years, the Sainokami no Fuji has played a role in passing down the Japanese people’s affection for flowers to the next generation,” says the local government official. In Makura no soshi, wisteria are described thus: “The clusters of deep purple blooms cascading gracefully down are truly splendid.” The Sainokami no Fuji flower clusters, then, evoke an ideal espoused by the aristocracy of the time. ![]() Makura no soshi ( The Pillow Book)*, a collection of observations written in the middle of the Heian period (late 8th century to late 12th century) when court culture flourished in Kyoto, mentions wisteria as an example of something “noble” that was admired by the aristocracy. The spectacular sight of the flowers cascading over the large trellis has a healing effect.” A small shrine ( hokora) has been established under the ancient tree The flower clusters of the Sainokami no Fuji are longer, measuring 30 to 40 centimeters, and most years look at their best from late April to early May.Īn official at the Fukuchiyama City Hall Oe Branch, which manages the Sainokami no Fuji, says, “The trellis has been made low so visitors can reach out and touch the flower clusters. The tendrils of the silky wisteria grow anticlockwise and its flower clusters are generally 10 to 20 centimeters long. The silky wisteria is a species of fuji (wisteria) endemic to Japan, a flowering vine of the pea family native to mountainous areas in almost half of the west of the country. Purple flower clusters cascade over the trellis Six trunks of varying sizes, including one standing approximately 3 meters tall and measuring 180 centimeters around its circumference, are entwined and spread their branches over a trellis measuring 30 meters square. The Sainokami no Fuji is estimated to be 1,200 years old and is designated a natural monument by Kyoto Prefecture. This scene can be observed every spring under a yamafuji (a variety of silky wisteria) called Sainokami no Fuji that grows in Fukuchiyama City, Kyoto Prefecture. Visitors gather beneath this “ceiling” of flowers to delight in the swaying of the elegant purple clusters of flowers in the faintest of breezes, referred to by the Japanese since ancient times as fuji-nami, or wisteria waves. Masses of purple flower clusters cascade over a large trellis, giving off a sweet fragrance. The entwined trunks and branches of Sainokami no Fuji From late April to early May, its purple flowers cascading over a wooden trellis delight onlookers with their elegance and grace. Insects and Diseases: Generally very healthy.Fukuchiyama City in Kyoto Prefecture is home to a silky wisteria called Sainokami no Fuji which is estimated to be over 1,200 years old. Hardiness: Grows best in the USDA Zones 5 – 9. Grows best in moist but well drained soil. Water Requirements: Needs a lot of water during growing season and less water in the winter. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Be careful, the seeds and seed pods of wisteria are poisonous. They are followed by fruits which are flattened pods full with bean-like seeds. Leaves are dark green with 13-19 leaflets.įlowering: In spring, it produces fragrant, pea-like, purple, blue-purple, or lilac-blue flowers that grow in long cascading clusters. Origin: Native to Japan but is grown in United States since 1860.Īppearance: It is a deciduous tree, meaning it will be leafless during winter, with smooth, gray-brown trunk and alternate, pinnately compound leaves. It is a hardy tree, therefore needs to be grown outdoors. Very showy, purple or white, pea-like, fragrant flowers grow in long hanging clusters. It produces the most pectacular flowers out of Wisteria family. Japanese Wisteria Bonsai Tree, scientific name Wisteria floribunda, is a deciduous shrub with dark green leaves and gray-brown trunk.
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