Like most Southern children, I accepted, almost as a matter of faith, that kudzu grew a mile a minute and that its spread was unstoppable. I had no reason to doubt declarations that kudzu covered millions of acres, or that its rampant growth could consume a large American city each year. I believed, as many still do, that kudzu had eaten much of the South and would soon sink its teeth into the rest of the nation.
I’m not sure when I first began to doubt…
h/t Kathy Shaidle
“…reveals as much about the power of American mythmaking, and the distorted way we see the natural world, as it does about the vine’s threat to the countryside”
Climate Change, rising sea levels, species extinctions, GMOs, kudzu…It all boils down to liars and suckers, doesn’t it.
Bingo! Although you could ideology to the mix.
Bingo! Although you could ideology to the mix.
Bingo! Although you could add ideology to the mix.
While I was in Texas, kudzu invaded my backyard. It tried to take over. Remoreless use of a weedwacker kept it under control. However, I could never eliminate it. Nasty stuff.
You needed to have a pet goat.
Science requires critical thinking, something obviously lacking in the environmental arena. Fears and hysteria are poor substitutes but when it comes to the environment, are the rule rather than the exception. Add politics and vast sums of cash (currently in the order of the military-industrial complex) and voila – the CAGW scam.
Kudzu according to Wikipedia is a health food. The cure is to find something that will eat it. Goats, Japanese, even sensible people like us.
I view the chatter about “invasive species” as Leftist nonsense – coming as I do from an invasive species myself. Usually an “invasive species” will persuade some other species to eat it.
Again, re “invasive species” – apparently the British Isles were completely covered with ice at the height of the last Ice Age, except for the southern tip of Ireland. Hence EVERY plant in the UK belongs to an invasive species. Maybe we should return the UK to its pristine condition.
When I think of kudzu I think of REM (murmur)
Killer Bees Raidon Gas, and such things we dont hear anything more about Raidon gas and killer bees remember the africanized killer Bees that were suppost to reach North America back in either the 70’s or 80’s now we dont hear a thing anymore about those Killer Bees ecept in a few cheap movies that made back in the 70’s
Not for sure but I believe this is the author of the Smithsonian article:
“Bill Finch, long-time garden columnist for the Press-Register, is director of Mobile Botanical Gardens and hosts the Plain Gardening Radio Show at 1065 FM from 9 until 11 on Sunday mornings.”
And what was the point of this article again?? It seemed fairly pointless …. something about southern myths or some such thing.
Kudzu is an invasive plant that the south would be way better off without. It grows rapidly in many southern climates and habitats……and it kills trees by overshadowing them. It is bad news for native plants and wildlife in many settings. It is VERY difficult to kill. Yes goats and cattle eat it but only were they can get to it…..
I’m not sure when he “first began to doubt” but I will tell you this: He’s the Bill Nye (science guy) of the plant world. And that’s not a compliment.
We have many invasive speices in america like the House Sparrow and Starling Kudzu is only the tip of the iceburg
Does anyone know what percentage of Vancouver Island is under blackberries? At least you can eat them.
Blackberries my mom and grandmother used to make Blackberry Cobler Yum Yum and Pie as well as Jams,Jellies and Preserves Yum Yum Yum