Monday, August 14, 2006

It's Alive!!!

Those are tall trees under those vines and the photos in this post were taken last week while riding around on Jimmy’s cycle…not mine.

This is like a feature in a scary movie…If you threw your sleeping bag down next to Kudzu, by morning you could very well be covered up by the Kudzu Monsters... Mua haha!

Kudzu was introduced into the United States in 1876 by Japan…and by 1953 the U.S. Government realized it was a BIG mistake. The plant (or vine) grows a foot a night and smothers every other plant out, including the biggest of trees. The first time I saw it, was at Berea College in Berea, Kentucky and I thought it was beautiful, but a few years later the college got rid of it.

I remember taking the kids, when they were small, to Tennessee to see the Kudzu Monsters, as we called them. They were everywhere there and little did I know that Kudzu was first introduced in Georgia, or we would have gone there. We didn’t have any in Kentucky then except for that little patch at the college…anyway, I never saw any.

Now as we ride our cycles around our state, I see more & more Kudzu every year and it’s like we’re being invaded by it. The other day, while I was chauffeuring Jimmy, on my bike, I came across a road that had about 3 - 4 feet of the blacktop covered over by the Kudzu. I couldn’t stop and take a picture because there was a car behind me, so I came back a few days later and the road department had removed it by then.


Here’s another picture…it’s the same place as the first picture on this post. The Kudzu is covering everything on one side of the road and it’s even beginning to cover the road as well. It's not the picture that I intended to show you, but it will do. I even wanted to go to Norris Dam, in Tennessee and see if they still had their very impressive Kudzu Monsters, but I just haven’t made it there yet. It’s not even that far from our house…just a couple of hours drive. If it doesn't rain today, that might be a nice place to ride to.


This is where I stopped to take the pictures from…It’s the property adjoining the Kudzu covered house & property…it’s Kudzu free now, but won’t be for long.

You all have a nice day and if nothing comes up, I'll be out hunting the Kudzu Monsters.

29 comments:

Val said...

Oh no, I can't believe the coincidence! I've just been over at Diane's and commented on how our Sunday dinner almost didn't happen because I got engrossed in that website Dew on the Kudzu, and the time just slipped by. And then I saw a link to your blog and thought I'd visit, only to find your kudzu post. It is even invading blogland! This is truly spooooooky stuff!

Merle said...

Hi Sandy ~~ Sounds a bit scary - a foot a night is amazing. Great photos and info. Thanks for that. Thanks also for your comments, glad you liked the chocolate rules. I hope your aunt enjoys them too. Take care, Merle.

Margaret said...

Thanks for the comments and birthday wishes, it does seem that my site is up and running well now. I am looking forward to becoming really efficient at blogging

LZ Blogger said...

Sandy ~ How beautifully GREEN! ~ jb///

madameplushbottom said...

Wow Sandy - I look forward to seeing the evidence from your hunt for the Kudzu monsters. Please don't stand or sit still for too long. I'd hate for you to be overtaken by the lush, fast growing, green goo.

Anonymous said...

It looks like a beautiful drive.

Peter said...

It's encouraging to hear that Australia isn't the only place that has enviormental problems with introduced species of flora/fauna, we have plenty of them but to the best of my knowledge Kudzu isn't among them.

Gary said...

It really is a beautiful vine. Too bad it causes so many problems. Maybe some scientist somewhere can figure out a way to stop it.

Sandy Hatcher-Wallace said...

Gary...Kudzu can be erradicated with several applications of some kind of spray, clippers & chainsaws...it just takes several years to finally kill it. It is beautiful though, but it dies out in our winter months and looks awful.

Val...what a coinsidence about both the Kudzo posts.

da gal...just as long as it doesn't invade my computer room, I'll be fine.

TJ said...

I had an email from Val just this morning on the subject...I thought I would send her a link to this post then I saw she had already been here!
This is amazing stuff isn't it...wouldn't it be nice if it had some sort of purpose...like a cure for cancer or something???
:-D

Susie said...

It looks wonderfully green and lush. As Tammy says it's too bad they couldn't find some sort of useful purpose for it!!

Carole Burant said...

Well I'll be darned, I learn something new every day!! I had never heard of Kudzu...gosh, it certainly is scary how fast it can grow!!! It's taking over the whole world...arrrggghhhhhh, run for your lives!! Hopefully they'll stop it at the Canadian border! Ha! Great pictures and thoroughly enjoyed catching up on all your posts...love all the flowers!!

Alice said...

I love green, living things - but somethings are just too green and too alive, aren't they?

Like the Lantana in Queensland - so pretty and such a pest.

... Paige said...

I just heard about this vine on the travel channel the other night. I understood the new light green leaves were edible & it is considered a tastey salad in Japan. Funny how something so harmless in the beginning sometimes goes rampant & takes over everything-kinda like people at a riot. Wonder how long before it heads for Texas. Nah y'all keep it up there, k?

Tim Rice said...

It looks pretty but it sounds frightful!

Franny said...

Creeeeepy...the killer vine...that's insane!

TUFFENUF said...

I heard that they were bringing in sheep to some areas to eat up the kudzu, but that they couldn't eat is faster than it grows, did you hear about that?

Merle said...

Hello again Sandy ~~ Thanks for your
comments. I Must go Shoppi was quite a good one. And yeah we all survived those early days. Take care, Hugs, Merle.

Tanya said...

I love that last shot. Hope it's not a case of 'enjoy it while you can,' and someone actually finds a way to stop the Kudzu beast.

Susan Tidwell said...

Yes, we have Kudzu in Georgia! It makes for some unusual shapes, and makes a nice green cover-up for areas, but I understand is a stubborn pest to get rid of. Glad you are still enjoying riding in this nice weather!

Ava said...

Very cool pictures!!!!

Good luck hunting Kudzu monsters!!

Don't let one get you!!!

somershade said...

wow, I didn't know it grew that fast.Great post mom and I remember seeing the monsters when we were little for the first time and when we saw them again we knew we were on an adventure from home.I still think that way when I see them now, even here in Jackson county.

Rachel said...

The kudzu. Sure is pretty though! We have some about a mile from here. My Dad always liked the kudzu too.

Great pictures!!

Sandy Hatcher-Wallace said...

Tuffenuf...I never heard about the sheep but maybe that's why we see a lot of goats around.

Somershade...these pictures were taken in Jackson County on Hwy. 89.

Tanya...I think this stuff will be around for quite sometime...We have lots of primitive forest land for it to invade.

Susan...yes, I am enjoying the riding weather...every single minute of it.

d42dPuppy...thanks for visiting and please come back again.

Paige...Would you like a FREE green salad? Invite all your friends and pick as many green leaves as you like...I'm sure no one would mind a bit. *LOL* Take a plant start with you.

Alice...yes, this very pretty green ground cover, the only thing is that it covers everything including your house. It's supposed to have pretty flowers, but as long as I've been around it, I haven't seen any.

Your Lantana's are very pretty and we have to buy them over here.

Pea...Kudzu doesn't do well in the winter, so you might be safe.

Tammy & Sue...Yes, it would certainly be a wonderful thing if it was found to be the cure for cancer.

Tim, Rachel, Merle, Ava & Franny...thanks for stopping by, and maybe you all would like to stop by for a complimentary green Kudzu Salad.

Jellyhead said...

How truly creepy! I wouldn't want to sleep near the stuff, that's for sure!

tomlaureld@yahoo.com said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
tomlaureld@yahoo.com said...

I created a bad link to this Kudzu Artist. I am still recovering from the skunk.
The Kudzu Artist Web Bio

Van Cong Tu said...

Seem a very peaceful place, your pictures are so beautiful. Love them heaps.

Sandy Hatcher-Wallace said...

Jellyhead...it makes an excellent ground cover, you have a lifetime supply of salad greens, you can hide in it and nobody will find you and you can weave it into baskets.

Godknows...I believe you had kudzu in one of your pictures...the motorbike trip you took with another couple and your dog.

Tomas Dennis...Thank you very much for the link...I checked it out. Wow that would be great to weave something with it and as you said , if we all made baskets with it that would take care of the Kudzu problem. Did you know that you can eat it?