Killer vine

Wisteria on a long leaf pine, 8x6" oil on panel

I remember wisteria from my days in high school here in Goldsboro. And I remember the way it used to climb up our long leaf pines, as this one is doing. If not destroyed, it will eventually kill its host. So much for “Pretty is as pretty does.” Unless you need to get rid of it, it’s a marvelous vine. For those not familiar with it, long before it bears leaves, it bears a lovely lavender colored flower that falls from it much like grapes on a vine. It grows wild and in spring can be seen along the highway draping the rural landscape. I understand there is a non-invasive one that is not so intrusive. Below is a plein air oil I did as part of my Highway 13 series of rural Eastern North Carolina. Difficult to make out, but here, the wisteria has already killed the tree that is its host.

Antebellum mansion, 24x30" oil on canvas