Tarzan used them as a superhighway through the trees in every adventure created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Villains and scoundrels alike fell prey to the ape-man and his horde of avenging simians righteously descending on vines from the trees.
Great fiction, but removed from the reality of present day north Florida. This is especially true about the local tangle of vines which are impossible to use as a propulsion system and in some cases are destructive exotic invaders.
The most infamous is Kudzu (Pueraria montana), sometimes known as the weed that ate the south. It was introduced into the United States at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876.
By 1900 kudzu was available by mail order as inexpensive livestock forage, and later sold by the USDA as an erosion control. The vigorous nature of the plant allowed it easily to escape into the wild.
This aggressive leguminous vine is capable of growing up to 12 inches per day during the summer. It can easily extend its reach 60 feet in a single growing season.
With its aggressive growth pattern and tenure in this country, there are now impenetrable tangles as large as 100 acres in some rural areas. It covers structures, smothers native plants and shades out trees with its heavy vines which break the weakened timber.
It establishes roots sporadically as it covers an area, layering vines and foliage on top of each other. One key to this plant’s efficiency is its ability to orient each leaf so that the maximum amount of sunlight possible is absorbed. This multidirectional orientation of leaves also poses special problems with sufficiently wetting the top sides of foliage with herbicide.
Special effort is necessary to control kudzu. Older well established plants are harder to control and completely eradicate. Follow-up spot treatments can require five to ten years in extreme cases. For easiest access, it is best to evaluate kudzu problems in winter when vines and foliage are withered.
Seen more frequently in coastal regions of panhandle Florida, Old World Climbing Fern (Lygodium microphyllum) is another aggressive exotic invasive. It is not as commonly recognized as Kudzu, but has just as much potential for invasive damage.
This climbing fern is a delicate looking perennial climbing vine. It is capable of forming a dense mat-like thatch capable of covering trees and shrubs. Initially it was introduced as an ornamental, being native to southeast Asia, tropical Africa and Australia.
This fern is spread readily by wind-blown spores and establishes quickly. Animals, equipment, and even people which move through an area with climbing ferns are very likely to pick up spores and move them to other locations.
It is scattered throughout the lower portions of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, and much of Florida. Planting or cultivation of this vine for ornamental purposes is prohibited by state statute.
Both vines have many negative attributes. In addition to crowding out native vegetation, they host destructive insects and diseases and provide a fire bridge to the crown of unlucky trees.
Adequate control of both exotic vines has been achieved with multiple applications of herbicides. As with most invasive plants, repeated and correctly timed treatments are likely to be necessary.
Even the illustrious ape-man of fiction and film would have a hard time conquering these useless pests. Hopefully horticultural science will someday in the near future.
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