Kudzu is a type of vine, native to Asia, that chokes out surrounding vegetation by its spreading. The vine, initially brought to the United States in 1876 during the Philadelphia Centennial Expedition, has become well known. In the 1930s people planted the vine everywhere across the southeastern states. Planted for erosion control and food for livestock. In the 1950s, the plant was officially a threat to native plants.
Working on restoring native vegetation
The United States Department of Agriculture has been working on this Kudzu problem. For the past three years, they have hired contractors to apply herbicide to the ten-acre kudzu patch at Hendrickson Recreation Area. The first year there were tremendous results the first year, with a decrease in the pesky vine. Following the second and third year, the lands natural vegetation has started to grow back.
One of the leaders of this NNIS project, Natural Resource Specialist Erin Yeoman said, “I was pleasantly surprised by just how effectively the treatment worked and by how quickly the native vegetation came back after removing the choking kudzu.” Yeoman continued, “There are a few sprigs left in the area that will need additional attention, but it is obvious from these results that kudzu can be removed with persistent treatment.” [1]
It is an expensive and lengthy process to remove Kudzu. It can be accomplished, though. The best time to get rid of it is when you first notice it growing.
Notes:
- ^Fs.usda.gov. (2018). Mark Twain National Forest – News & Events. [online] Available at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/mtnf/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD585773 [Accessed 6 Sep. 2018]. (go back ↩)
