Law of Unintended Consequences

13 years ago

I couldnÃ¯Â¿Â½t have been more surprised when not long ago I read in a local newspaper that my community has been added to the list of twelve confirmed areas in Massachusetts with an infestation of Kudzu. Yes you read that right KUDZU the Asian vine that has blanketed the southeastern region of the US, Hawaii, South America, and as recently as 2009 has been found in Ontario Canada.

Whatever resource you chose to gather information about this vine you are bound to find volumes of information ranging from its arrival here in the United States at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia where it was described as a miraculous new plant from Japan that could fix nitrogen in the soil and control erosion which was sold using the phrase "Kudzu to the rescue", to some pretty astonishing facts such as the tap root that can weigh up to 400 pounds and during the growing season this monster can grow a foot a day by taking advantage of the sunÃ¯Â¿Â½s rays to promote photosynthesis! But other than herbicides there is little mention about how to control this invasive high climbing (100Ã¯Â¿Â½) vine. Frankly while battling the ever persistent poison ivy and bittersweet vines I never imagined that it could ever be worse but now it appears the law of unintended consequences has again planted a foreign thug in my backyard.

There are however a number of uses people have found for the plant such as using the roots and flowers for an herbal tea that is said to be a cure for hangovers. It can be eaten and there are many recipes for Kudzo blossom jelly or stem salsa.

I wonder if our more southern forum members have any experiences with Kudzu? I would also be interested to hear if other New Englanders were aware of the arrival of Kudzu this far north? I have a sense that the Long Horned Asian Beetle is taking media prominence (what little there is) in terms of educating the public. kt

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Comments (16)

carol6ma_7ari
13 years ago
Sign of global warming? Next in New England: Cockroaches? Palm rats? Alligators?

Carol
claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
13 years ago
I hadn't heard of kudzu in MA, although I have a vague memory of reading a few years ago about kudzu being seen in CT (or maybe NH?). Not something I want to see here.

Claire
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Hi Bethesdamanman, My apologies then, Dave. I thought that I had recalled you posting on the other board that mortgage rates would stay low for years and years, and that we would never return to the high rates of years past. My error. Eeeesschhh .... well.... actually... kinda sorta, YES.... your apologies in this case are NOT warranted. Herein lies a case of "text failing where a verbal conversation *may* have worked better." I've never said rates would stay low "well... forever".... I HAVE said rates (30 FRM rates to be precise) will unlikely climb over 7% in our lifetimes. I *STILL* stand by that.... albeit, I am now offering that we are entering a territory of government-induced inflation at levels I (perhaps naively) thought the United States political system was above. If we continue down the path of dollar-dilution that we've begun accelerating along, there are only two end-game results; A) we reverse course back out of it before we self-destruct in revolution, B) we self-destruct (and the devil we do not know is always a potential problem.) *IF* we successfully reverse and dig ourselves out of the hole of trouble our most recent past and our current government administrations are hell-bent on digging us into... there are only two ways of "sopping back & vacuuming up" the diluted unbacked funny-money that has been injected out into the system; A) The Treasury collects more taxes than it provides to the government to spend, and/or, B) The Fed increases interest rates higher than its blended payout on the treasury bonds (and then some... the greater the positive income spread to the Fed, the more painful to the "fixed-income retired crowd" which is our baby-boomer bubble... who will rally with AARP-sponsored pitchforks.) Both A & B will be met with *MASSIVE* resistance from the only crowd that the poloticos *KNOW* will consistently show up to vote, and have almost unlimited spare time to write, call, email, and generally pester the daylights out of the politicians; The Seniors. SO.... I've learned to never rely on "common sense" when it comes to anticipating "government logic" (an oxymoron if there ever was one.) Obama has enlisted the original architect of option B... Paul Volcker... as a "senior economic advisor." ("Senior" may (MAY) work somewhat to our advantage here... as Gramps Volcker *MIGHT* have some age-gained sensitivity to his classmate comrade's plight.) Volcker is the one who decided to fight inflation in the 1970's by driving short-term interest rates up to the 20%'s... The late '70's and early '80's result was that Volcker recaptured (in a VERY painful way) the excess liquidity (flooding of funny money) our country created by going off the gold standard and adopting a "weak dollar" policy through the 1960's. WHAT WILL WA DC DO??????????????? I dunno.... (I know what I pray/chant/meditate they will do...) *IF* the government (both the loonie left & jackthug right) get OUT of the way of the naturally balancing markets... then my expectations and predictions stand, with virtually my 100% confidence. My fears are that the United States idea of a market-based capitalist self-righting system has been a grand and wonderful social experiment... but that the human frailties (compounded in mob psychology) are sabotaging the underlying DNA strands that made it possible to stand. My COMFORTING REALIZATION... is that despite my egoistic pride for being part of a "successful system".... even if that system turns out to be a decaying failure, INDIDIVIDUALLY I and my family, and those I guide, can still retain their own personal success and quality of life. Cheers, Dave Donhoff Leverage Planner
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Penelope
13 years ago
Yikes! My first experience of kudzu was this summer while traveling in the Smoky Mountains in North Carolina and Tennessee. It was like being an on alien planet, that stuff took over entire hillsides and smothered every tree, crawled over telephone wires, and probably would have crawled over the roads except that you could see brown signs of herbicide use. I'm stunned to hear that it's in New England. Heaven help us.
nandina
13 years ago
Katy, I know your Island well as I grew up there. Here in the south kudzu is a rampant thug and your citizens must get together and stop the invasion now or lose your precious Beetlebung trees and unique ecology. This job is probably best handled by your local garden club which I know is very active. Probably should bring the Polly Hill Arboretum people on board, too. They are in the best position to educate the public as to the problem and how to kill it off. If I were there I would encourage Carly Simon (she is a dedicated gardener) to act as a spokesperson for the project. She would have credance with summer owners.

It is going to take sharp eyes looking for it. Can be treated by cutting the vine two inches above the ground and painting the stub with full strength brush killer using a 1" paint brush and wearing rubber gloves. This is best done during the growing season. Garden club members could carry these in their car and hopefully gain permission from landowners to enter a property and treat when kudzu is spotted. If proper education has been done in advance this should not be a problem. This is a situation the Island can get on top of with publicity encouraging citizen cooperation. Go for it!
ginny12
13 years ago
Has anyone actually seen kudzu with their own eyes in Massachusetts--who knows for sure what it is? Ie, a person with some botanical training?
runktrun
Original Author
13 years ago
Ginny,
I first read this news in a column written by respected naturalist in my local paper. I would have posted a link to the article but you need to be a subscriber to access it. When I googled kudzu in ma. I came across the USDA page below. I have always found the Umass site difficult to navigate but I would guess they have some info as well.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kudzu/USDA
littleonefb
13 years ago
From a google search o where has kudzu vine been found in MA, the following links.

Found in Marblehead in 2006

http://www.marbleheadconservancy.org/pdfs/kudzu_powerpoint.pdf

on Boston Harbor Island

http://www.marbleheadconservancy.org/pdfs/kudzu_powerpoint.pdf

in Holyoke

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&q=has+kudzu+vine+been+found+in+ma&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

Fran
ontheteam
13 years ago
NO!! I am going to have to make sure I am watching for it around here. They show a root that's gotta be a foot thick....

Here is a link that might be useful: powerpoint on Kudzu in MA
gardenscout
13 years ago
I can confirm that Kudzu is growing on the Cape. I helped a friend hack down what seemed like miles and miles of it that was growing up trees and shrubs in his mother's large backyard in Osterville (very close to the Mahoney's there.)

We knew it would just come back, but we gave it a good shot anyway, and trucked away many, many loads of the stuff.

Then my friend's mother told me to help myself to some of her Hostas, Sib Iris, and other assorted perennials. I politely declined, lest I get a bit of Kudzu root in the soil. When I got home to RI, I quickly showered and put my clothes, gloves, and sneakers right in the washer, just to be safe!

Too bad someone couldn't grow it as an energy source. It is certainly a renewable resource! I remember reading about someone in the South who was growing it to make compost. I remember thinking what a bad idea that was. I am sure it has swallowed him up by now!
ginny12
13 years ago
It just seems so odd that the New England Wildflower Society and other environmental organizations of which I am a member have not mentioned this--unless it whizzed right by me, always a possibility. These groups, whose publications I get and websites I visit, are usually the first to sound the warning.

I'll have to go check because you people are scaring me. I have driven many miles in the South and kudzu is like something out of a sci-fi movie. Reminds me in fact of an old Doctor Who episode.
runktrun
Original Author
13 years ago
Sorry to say Ginny that you must have missed it there are a number of NEWFS/Kudzu hits when you google it including the video linked below.

Here is a link that might be useful: New England Wildflower Society Identifying Kudzu in Needham
ginny12
13 years ago
I did go to the NEWFS website right after I posted above. There were five kudzu references. Of those, two were general references and not specific sightings. All three specific sightings were the same location in Needham.

I'm not denying the possibility of a wider problem but I think a state-wide survey by a reputable scientific/botanical organization is needed. And lots of publicity to plant-knowledgeable people in garden and conservation groups. And monitoring confirmed sightings such as the one in Needham. How do low temperatures affect it? Can it adapt to such temperatures? Snow?
airplaneantonym
13 years ago
I'm in school for botany at Umaine right now, but back home in Mass I worked in an industrial park, and kudzu was a regular occurrence in the wetlandish retention ponds all around.

=( sorry haha
claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
13 years ago
Where in Mass was this industrial park?

Claire
dearyvette
13 years ago
Hello, everyone. As far as I can tell, this horse has already bolted from the barn. I am a Miamian who spent 18 years in Boston and is headed back there, soon.

As far as I can tell, kudzu has been growing in Massachusetts since at least 2004 or 2005. It's like the zombie of the plant world. It thrives on quietude and secrecy and stealth. It grows a foot per day by runners, rhizomes, and also undisturbed seeds. This is Frankenweed.

So, now you have a monster weed with a preference for finding quiet corners to grow frankenroots...fertile little patches of land next to highways...sunny little spots in public parks and forests...what do you do? I have no idea. We take it for granted around here (in Miami), as a side-of-the-highway plant. I have never seen it in anyone's garden, and I would never allow it in mine. It's not as invasive as my neighbor's dandelions.

Like any other weed, kudzo spreads to where it's allowed to spread, though its taproot can kick your taproot's butt. It's a hardy legume, really. I believe the only way to kill it is to track and destroy its whole root system, which, depending on the age of the plant, might take some doing. Or it might take 10 minutes.

I believe vigilance and swift destruction of identified vines would go a long way in preventing wide-spread growth, but I am also a little surprised that its existence up there is still a surprise.

I wish you luck. And, if it makes you feel any better, at least we can't also share our Frankensnakes with you. Yet.

Here is a link that might be useful: Frankensnakes
scpearson
13 years ago
Hello,
I would be interested if it survives after this cold snowy New England winter.
dearyvette, hasn't anyone developed something that works to kill the root system? Scary thing.
Susan in CT

Law of Unintended Consequences

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