Straight to the Source
There was a time in the South whenplanting kudzu was not viewed as botanical vandalism, but as acommunity-spirited gesture. The vine, imported from Asia, was intendedto control erosion and provide forage for livestock.
Some things just don't work out.
Todaykudzu is an invasive pest throughout the South, where it can grow up toa foot a day. It smothers trees, houses and if you move too slowly itmight even smother you. Pretty much the only thing that will eat amature kudzu vine is goats. If you lack goats, eradicating it takesyears of herbicidal dousing.
Whichleads us to a muddle-headed idea from an S.C.-based company: to plant330 acres of eucalyptus trees genetically modified to withstand coldweather. The idea is that the tree, native to Australia, could be usedcommercially to make paper and as fuel for power plants. TheSummerville, S.C.-based ArborGen, says the hybrid it would use can'teasily reproduce.
Peoplethought kudzu was a good idea, too. The problem of invasive plants isgrowing as fast as, well, you know. It's not just kudzu. Have you evertried to get rid of wisteria gone wild? Japanese honeysuckle, Englishivy or privet?
The majorharm from invasive plants isn't that they're landscaping annoyances;it's that they crowd out and smother native species. That means birdsand other animals that rely on those native plants die out, too. Awhole ecosystem fails.
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