I just took a walk thru the woods along the Patomac river. In a little
clearing there were some plants that were not there last year. They look a lot
like kudzu, but not living in the south it's not a plant I'm very familiar
with. Looked for pictures on the net and the leaf I brought home does look like
it.
My question is, should I be concerned? This is West VA where I didn't think
it grew, so is the climate here such that even if it is kudzu, it will not end
up eating the entire state? Should I organize the villagers with flaming
torches?

Dave
http://members.tripod.com/~VideoDave

You have too much free time on your hands, eh?

Why not go on a quest for a virgin in West Virginia instead? There must be
one somewhere!


DavesVideo wrote in message
...
I just took a walk thru the woods along the Patomac river. In a little
clearing there were some plants that were not there last year. They look a
lot
like kudzu, but not living in the south it's not a plant I'm very familiar
with. Looked for pictures on the net and the leaf I brought home does look
like
it.
My question is, should I be concerned? This is West VA where I didn't
think
it grew, so is the climate here such that even if it is kudzu, it will not
end
up eating the entire state? Should I organize the villagers with flaming
torches?

Dave
http://members.tripod.com/~VideoDave

DavesVideo wrote:

I just took a walk thru the woods along the Patomac river. In a little
clearing there were some plants that were not there last year. They look a
lot like kudzu, but not living in the south it's not a plant I'm very
familiar with. Looked for pictures on the net and the leaf I brought home
does look like it. My question is, should I be concerned? This is West VA
where I didn't think it grew, so is the climate here such that even if it
is kudzu, it will not end up eating the entire state? Should I organize
the villagers with flaming torches?
Probably not.. and damn it mine won't even grow well here anyway!-)
//
J

it is very possible that the patch you saw was indeed kudzu.. I have seen
patches of it in southern KY but the harder winters are doing a good job of
slowing the spread.. And in the hills of Wva, the winters will be somewhat
more severe due to altitude... should not be a concern


"DavesVideo" wrote in message
...
I just took a walk thru the woods along the Patomac river. In a little
clearing there were some plants that were not there last year. They look a
lot
like kudzu, but not living in the south it's not a plant I'm very familiar
with. Looked for pictures on the net and the leaf I brought home does look
like
it.
My question is, should I be concerned? This is West VA where I didn't
think
it grew, so is the climate here such that even if it is kudzu, it will not
end
up eating the entire state? Should I organize the villagers with flaming
torches?

Dave
http://members.tripod.com/~VideoDave

I remember Kudzu growing over trees and houses in Maryland. This was 30
years ago. It doesn't go away, but is edible! That is why it was brought
to this country. It is not a native plant, but loves it here. If you have
tortoises or cattle/cows, feed it to them. People also eat Kudzu - so lets
have a big big big Kudzu salad!

--
gloria - only the iguanas know for sure

"Gloria Lenon" wrote in message om...
I remember Kudzu growing over trees and houses in Maryland.

Indeed. There's a patch of kudzu smothering a stand of trees in
Towson, just north of Baltimore. It's not as bad as what I have seen
in Tennessee and Alabama, but it's still scary.

This was 30
years ago. It doesn't go away, but is edible!

We would never succeed in eating enough of it to matter, not even if
every American ate some every day! (And you know how Americans can
eat. :^)

That is why it was brought
to this country. It is not a native plant, but loves it here. If you have
tortoises or cattle/cows, feed it to them. People also eat Kudzu - so lets
have a big big big Kudzu salad!

I've always wondered how kudzu is controlled in its native range
(Japan, if I remember correctly). Importing biological controls to
correct past mistakes can have its own hazards, but is there a
strategy one might consider?

--
John J. Ladasky Jr., Ph.D.
Department of Biology
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore MD 21218
USA
Earth

On Fri, 06 Jun 2003 15:38:55 GMT, "Gloria Lenon"
wrote:

I remember Kudzu growing over trees and houses in Maryland. This was 30
years ago. It doesn't go away, but is edible! That is why it was brought
to this country. It is not a native plant, but loves it here. If you have
tortoises or cattle/cows, feed it to them. People also eat Kudzu - so lets
have a big big big Kudzu salad!

I understood that kudzu was brought to this country from Japan to
control erosion. It got out of control and grows almost anywhere.
Here in Tennessee, it covers road signs, fences, tops of trees,
buildings and cars. There's a kudzu festival with various ways to eat
this invasive plant. It looks very ugly in the winter.

John Ladasky wrote:

"Gloria Lenon" wrote in message om...
I remember Kudzu growing over trees and houses in Maryland.

Indeed. There's a patch of kudzu smothering a stand of trees in
Towson, just north of Baltimore.

Behind the old Luskins store. I've driven by it many times.

It's not as bad as what I have seen
in Tennessee and Alabama, but it's still scary.

Scary why? *I* haven't been able to root any cuttings.

"Dr. Rev. Chuck, M.D. P.A." wrote in message ...
John Ladasky wrote:

"Gloria Lenon" wrote in message om...
I remember Kudzu growing over trees and houses in Maryland.

Indeed. There's a patch of kudzu smothering a stand of trees in
Towson, just north of Baltimore.

Behind the old Luskins store. I've driven by it many times.

It's not as bad as what I have seen
in Tennessee and Alabama, but it's still scary.

Scary why? *I* haven't been able to root any cuttings.

It's just taunting you. Don't give in!

What the Kudzu God wants you to do, after a cutting fails to root, is
to carelessly throw that cutting in your back yard, without even
putting an end in the soil. Oh, heck, forget all about the soil,
throw it on top of gravel. Ignore it for a season. Go away on a
one-week vacation, then come back and try to locate your house. :^)

--
John J. Ladasky Jr., Ph.D.
Department of Biology
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore MD 21218
USA
Earth