Not having a television, I was unaware (until someone mentioned it) that there’s a Wisteria Lane that holds a special place in the prime-time lineup.

Wisteria may or may not have a special place in your heart, but it will have a big place in your yard if you don’t keep an eye (and a pruner) out. Notorious for its rapid growth and strangling potential, wisteria is a plant to be reckoned with.

Growth spurt doesn’t even begin to describe its ascension up and out. One wisteria plant was observed to increase 24 inches in 24 hours. This particular wisteria plant, though, is exceptional in its abilities. In fact, it is a record holder, listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest blossoming plant in the world.

The wisteria plant in question is not just big, it is massive, and is considered one of the seven horticultural wonders of the world. At 116 years old, this vivacious vine spreads out over one acre, weighs 250 tons, boasts 1.5 million blossoms, and is the inspiration for the annual Wisteria Festival in Sierra Madre, California.

Even common backyard wisteria can misbehave and become a bully in size and strength. Its modus operandi is strangulation. Considered a twining plant, it thrives by encircling. It could surround and squeeze a tree, trellis, or any other stationary object in its clutches. If not monitored, wisteria can kill its host tree and can damage a house.

This aggressive stance has not disabled wisteria from gaining many fans. Every spring brings beautiful large purple, pink, white and even yellow hanging bunches of blooms. We already have enjoyed them for the year, as by now wisteria has become just a fading memory of flowers and fragrance.

If yours did not flower, two factors may be the cause. One is age. Wisteria vines can take up to 20 years to mature and bloom. The other reason for a lackluster spring showing is a lack of sunshine. Wisteria prefers to be in full sun.

Ten varieties of wisteria are found worldwide, but only two are native to the United States. Those two species occur in the southern U.S., so any wisteria seen on-Island is not native. Most common are the Japanese and Chinese wisteria. Differentiate them (and entertain your friends with some fun trivia) by observing the vine’s growth pattern: Japanese wisteria twines clockwise (as do the versions native to the U.S.) and Chinese encircles counterclockwise.

The discovery (or at least the naming) of this plant is credited to Dr. Caspar Wistar, who was an anatomy professor at the University of Pennsylvania in the late 1700s. Originally wisteria was wistaria — both spellings are acceptable today.

The next stage for the wisteria plants that were so recently flowering is the production of seed. Since wisteria is in the pea family, Fabaceae, it produces pods that will soon emerge. These pods are powerful, so a word to the wise: don’t watch too closely! Wisteria sows its seeds through explosive dispersal. The pods will twist and open suddenly, releasing seeds as far as 70 feet from the original plants. Even more alarming is the fact that these seeds are poisonous.

But don’t panic; there’s no need for wisteria hysteria. As long as you protect your mouth and eyes, you should be able to be around this fading beauty without succumbing to its poisoned darts or deadly, entangling embraces. Which goes to show that TV can’t compare to Nature for variety and long-running drama!

Suzan Bellincampi is director of the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary in Edgartown.