 |
 |
Kudzu Covered Houses in North Georgia — Anyone from the South is aware of the plague of kudzu that ruins the landscape. I ran into this interesting older post I did a few years ago while searching for something else. Sigh.
Few houses are abandoned and allowed to be taken over by vegetation. However, in parts of the south including the city of Atlanta those that are, are susceptible to being engulfed by kudzu. Some make interesting natural sculptures. Here are twenty seven buildings and old houses in 39 images which are visible from highways and streets in Georgia and South Carolina
This stuff would actually be kept in check if livestock and poultry were allowed to roam these areas. Cows love the stuff and it makes them produce more sweet milk.
Kudzu was introduced to the United States in 1876 at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Countries were invited to build exhibits to celebrate the 100th birthday of the U.S. The Japanese government constructed a beautiful garden filled with plants from their country. The large leaves and sweet-smelling blooms of kudzu captured the imagination of American gardeners who used the plant for ornamental purposes.
Florida nursery operators, Charles and Lillie Pleas, discovered that animals would eat the plant and promoted its use for forage in the 1920s. Their Glen Arden Nursery in Chipley sold kudzu plants through the mail. A historical marker there proudly proclaims “Kudzu Developed Here.”
Related links:
Invasivespecies.gov
Invasivespecies.org
It could be a whole lot worse–as in, whats the real complaint here? You’d rather look at abandoned eyesores?
“Every part of the Kudzu plant is usable”
http://home.att.net/~ejlinton/jelly.html
Not only can animals eat it we can too.
But that requires an American eating something other than meat or potato.
Cursor_
[Duplicate comment. – Deleted. – ed.]
Kudzu should be used for Biofuel instead of Corn. You can literally watch it grow on hot days after a rain.
Sorry John, there arent that many cows. Trust me.
That said its got uses, it hides those ugly run down shacks as mentioned, the flowers can be used for wine or jelly, it can be made into tofu, the leaves can be eaten, it produces oxygen, it provides cover for smaller animals.
Unfortunately its generally just ignored. Now if someone could graft blueberries onto one……
Property gets abandoned. Nature reclaims it. Big deal! Kudzu just does it faster. would you rather the property was covered with crabgrass? Or worse, garbage!
I wonder the actual energetic value of kudzu. As for producing biofuel, that’s a bit complex: It won’t give a fruit or root that oil can be extracted from. Best bet would be cutting it and pile it up to extract methane from decomposition.
Major drawback is the water consumption.
I know the feeling of fighting invasive plants. My problem here a little more north in Virginia is English Ivy, that stuff just doesn’t die, unless I want to kill all the grass around it.
Yeah apparently goats make short work of it.
Win-win.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/05/us/05goats.html
Kudzu can grow 12 in. a day. But it sure has a purdy flower.
Click pic for larger image.
If we could just use this stuff to heat our homes and power our cars, there wouldn’t be a problem for long.
and we thought tribbles were trouble…
#12,
More like Day of the Triffids
I thought Kudzu was the cure for global warming.
Tastes just like Green Beans. I’ve eaten the sprouts and it is high in protein. I would rather eat it than icky lettuce.