The Royal Horticultural Society has chopped down a giant showpiece wisteria, upsetting garden lovers.
The plant, known for its eye-catching, vibrant purple blooms, covered a wall of RHS Wisley’s Water Lily Pavilion and was one of their main attractions for decades.
However, visitors were left shocked when they discovered the 10ft vine had been removed from the wall.
Members were told that the wisteria floribunda was becoming increasingly difficult to manage.
The RHS has denied that the move was caused by health and safety concerns, but instead said it was causing damage to the building it was attached to.
The wisteria is pictured on the wall before it was chopped down (left) and after it was removed (right)
A horticulturist is pictured inspecting the wisteria along Wisteria Walk at RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey
However, an RHS gardener told a visitor that a ‘cherry picker’ gadget that is used to assist the gardeners prune the plant branches twice a year had been deemed ‘unsafe to operate.’
This was allegedly due to fears the machine could fall down the pond’s bank, report The Telegraph.
Garden lovers are up in arms about the decision, with one telling the outlet: ‘I always loved seeing the stunning wisteria.
‘It looked spectacular when it was in flower. Removing the whole thing seems a bit drastic.’
RHS Wisley, located in Woking, Surrey, charges adults £18.50 for a standard ticket to the gardens.
Chelsea gold-medal-winning landscape gardener, Bunny Guinness, told the outlet that in the ‘old days’ gardeners could just ‘jump up a ladder and get to it’.
However, she says nowadays, the health and safety rules around gardening and pruning have changed, becoming stricter.
‘It’s health and safety and it’s there for a reason. There are so many accidents involving ladders. It’s a shame, but that is life,’ she added.
Ms Guinness also believes that the RHS would have to do a health and safety assessment ‘every time’ they plan to carry out this type of work.
The RHS website states: ‘Wisteria needs regular pruning to keep its vigorous growth and overall size under control, but it will also improve the flowering display.’
A mature wisteria plant can reach around 33ft in trees and spread up to 66ft against a wall and can be long-lived.
The RHS has been contacted for comment.
