Photo: Kudzu via Wikipedia
Perhaps a solemn reminder of our lack of ability to manage nature is the threat from invasive species. Not a new problem, the fight against foreign forms of flora goes back decades and includes Purple Loosestrife (dubbed the beautiful killer), the Giant Hogweed (which produces a sap that causes severe skin burns and possible blindness), and now, recently, the formidable Kudzu invader, known as the ‘vine that ate the south.’ Kudzu is continuing its insatiable march north from the U.S. and has invaded Canada, true to its description as the vegetable form of cancer.
A native of east Asia, Kudzu was apparently first introduced to the United States at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876. Back then, it was used by farmers to prevent soil erosion and to feed cattle. By the 1950’s, it outgrew its welcome and people realized they would have to try to control it. Still, it continued to spread, and as of 2009, it reached the Canadian border and entered without a passport and much to the chagrin of environment officials.
What exactly is the big deal with the Kudzu vine? Its voracious behavior makes it an enemy of indigenous landscapes and the animals that live there. It can snap hydro poles, suffocate forests, and cover entire buildings, and fast too! Also called the mile-a-minute vine, it can grow a foot per day. As it chokes out other vegetation in its path, food sources for wildlife become scarce.
Rachel Gagnon of the Ontario Invasive Plant Council has been monitoring Kudzu, but was surprised that it had arrived in Canada so soon, noting that it was spotted along the shores of Lake Erie. Scientists believe that warmer temperatures may be allowing the vine to survive further north. Studies show that a temperature of below -20 degrees Celsius is needed to kill the plant’s roots.
The pervasive and aggressive vine also taxes financial resources. It is hard to control and costly to destroy. The U.S. spends an estimated $500 million per year to fight the plant.
It seems Canada, particularly Ontario, and probably B.C. and Quebec, which also have favorable Kudzu climates, should budget for the battle against this ever-expanding, concrete-swallowing invader, or we may experience a return to nature we weren’t quite expecting.
