Okay, I’ll admit that that’s not a very original title. But I’m not plagiarizing; I’m paraphrasing. Those of you familiar with the classic 1954 sci-fi novel Invasion of the Body Snatchers by the late Jack Finney, and the movies based on it, will certainly recognize where I got the idea.
Thing is, you’ll justifiably wonder where I’m going with that thought. Well, here in the southeastern United States, we have been overwhelmed with an invasive species of legume that climbs over trees and shrubs, growing so fast and profusely that it kills them by heavy shading. But, like many stories, this one began long ago.
Kudzu
Kudzu was introduced from Japan into the United States at the Japanese pavilion in the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. Then, in the 1930s and 1940s, the vine was identified as a way for farmers to stop soil erosion. Much farmland’s topsoil was sown with the invasive vine, resulting in over one million acres of compromised land.
Initially, it was used to attack soil erosion as well as to enhance the soil with nitrogen. Other uses have been as animal feed, specifically for goats; for basketry; as a herbal medicine; to make clothing and paper, in Asia; to make soap, lotions and compost in the Southern United States; and, believe it, or not, as desserts, tea, jelly and honey.
Vine that Ate the South
Kudzu has come to be known as the ‘Vine that ate the South’. But for some reason, goats love to eat kudzu, and they are being employed by many areas in the south to battle the hungry vine. And just this past week here in my hometown of Asheville, NC, the city has brought in goats to use in not landscaping, but goat-scaping, in an effort to reclaim city property that’s been gobbled up by this green menace. And just this past week, on a trip to Charlotte, Lynndee and I were both amazed at the amounts of kudzu we saw infesting the sides of the highway. Here locally, as you can see in the photos, there are so many spots we pass each day while taking our son to school that have been invaded and swallowed up.
Even some of my nearby property has been overtaken by this plague. But thankfully, my land is clear, and I can only hope that those seed pods stay away from me for I sure don’t want to be eaten up!
I was born and raised in the south and kudzu is no joke. It will take over everything. I love that they are bringing in goats to try and keep it contained.
How neat. And these trees do look pretty awesome. I hadn’t heard of Kudzu before today.
we lived in atlanta for a few years and i remember seeing these everywhere! I love that they are bringing the goats though! great idea!
I now live in the South, and things are so much different here. I love how those trees look. Just so calming.
Wow! This is so cool! It could really add more beauty in the surroundings. Definitely a great idea!
I’ve never heard of this kudzu. How weird! Must just be something that happens in the south.
I saw my first Kudzu when I visited the south to see my aunt. I was telling her how much I loved it. She carefully explained to me it was not a plant to love. 🙂
There is a herd of goats around here you can hire to come eat kudzu for you. We have a lot of kudzu here.
This is a new one for me, I sure hope it can’t survive the winters here. I love that they are using goats to help get rid of the vines.
Wow! Looks really cool. A great way to beautify the trees. They’re eye catching!
Should be pretty nice to drive by these. If you have a good imagination, you’d be entertained. These are amazing.
I’ve never heard about this before. It’s really interesting to learn about though and I’m not sure if we have anything similar here either.
Wow, this is my first time learning about this. I would love to see some of these trees in person with my family.
Oh yes, my husband told me about Kudzu! It’s crazy how it can take over trees like that!
I have never seen anything like that. I know they are plage but they do look cool though
I have never heard of Kudzu. Such an interesting story! The trees look beautiful though. I want to see them in person!
When I see things like this it always creeps me out! This is a very interesting story.
I haven’t heard of Kudzu here before! I do love that they hire goats to keep it in check
First time I heard about Kudzu. I think we have a vine here similar to this one.