Charlie Paparella Admires the Wisteria

SALISBURY, Md. – In this week’s edition of Back on the Road with Charlie Paparella, brought to you by Furniture & More Gone Coastal, Charlie explores the bittersweet nature of wisteria.

Charlie enjoys seeing the first signs of spring on the Delmarva Peninsula, believing an overdue spring is always a welcome one. Blooming flowers, invasive or not, are early signs of the seasonal change.

“One familiar plant we see in spring is wisteria, noted for its peaceful lavender color, the fine and bountiful flowers with a perfectly heavenly scent,” Charlie says. “Its familiarity masks its danger, because it’s a rapacious predator, swallowing huge swaths of forest over time.”

Charlies says that to the plant, dominance is success, while success in the human world requires planning and thinking. For example, plant scientists have documented communication and decision making in trees and a variety of other plants over the past several decades.

“For me, that is great news,” Charlie says, celebrating their success. “I’ve always wondered if making themselves beautiful might be a survival strategy, since most people would not want to destroy something beautiful.”

If you have a story idea that you’d like to see Charlie tackle, email them to papa@wmdt.com.