The Vine That Ate The South
This kudzu covered light pole caught my eye the other day as I was picking up Chris from daycare. Like everyone else from the South, I have looked out in amazement at kudzu covered fields, trees, and sometimes even houses.
Kudzu was introduced into the US in 1876 to be used as an ornamental plant, erosion control and forage for animals. The wily vine took an extreme liking to the South, with our hot, humid summers and mild winters. In ideal conditions, it can grow up to a foot a day.
The USDA declared kudzu a weed in 1972. Various means of controlling the vine have been tried; mechanical removal, herbicides, grazing animals, and most recently, biological control.
Kudzu does have its uses. Various studies are ongoing to research its anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. Particularly in the South, kudzu is used in making jellies, soaps, and lotions. The vines are also being used to make baskets and sculptures.
From the poem "Kudzu" by James Dickey:
Supposed to keep from eroding.
Up telephone poles,
Which rear, half out of leafage
As though they would shriek,
Like things smothered by their own
Green, mindless, unkillable ghosts.
In Georgia, the legend says
That you must close your windows
At night to keep it out of the house.
The glass is tinged with green, even so...
No comments:
Post a Comment