What This Story Is About
- Knoxville is using herbicides to kill kudzu, including at the “jungle Arby’s” site off Chapman Highway where most of it is now dead.
Why It Matters
- Kudzu is invasive and crowds out native East Tennessee plants. Native-plant advocates say natives will return once it’s gone.
- 3-year plan is in place at Chapman Hwy: spot treatment in year 2, monitoring and native regrowth in year 3. Work also underway at other sites.
For Context
- Knoxville previously used goats, but officials say goats only ate top growth and kudzu came back.
- Herbicide is applied directly to kudzu leaves with minimal impact to other species.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – The city of Knoxville is using herbicides to kill off kudzu, an invasive plant that kills native East Tennessee plants.
City officials say the method works better than goats, which the city used previously.
The city has picked out several problem areas, including a site many know as the “jungle Arby’s,” located off Chapman Highway. Most of the kudzu at that site is now dead…