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Carolina Curious: Can 'The Vine That Ate The South' Be Contained?

Credit: Gabriel Maisonnave for 88.5 WFDD

You've seen it on the side of the road, creeping up light posts and climbing the tallest trees - a sprawling green vine blanketing the landscape. It's kudzu. Or, as some people say, “the vine that ate the South.”

WFDD listener Gail Dempsey sees kudzu regularly on her bike rides. “It looked like a Dr. Seuss landscape or something with all of the previous bushes or trees just covered.” So, she wanted to know:

When did kudzu start getting out of control, and what can we do to drive it back and restore the native plants?

WFDD's Bethany Chafin digs in for our latest installment of Carolina Curious.

The History of Kudzu

Kudzu seems to be everywhere - on roadways, bikepaths, in fields and junkyards. It's even invaded our cultural landscape. In the short film, "Killer Kudzu," a band of misfits must come together to

Bethany is WFDD's editorial director. She joined the staff in the fall of 2012. She received her B.A. and M.A. in English Literature from Wake Forest University. Between undergraduate studies and graduate school, Bethany served as the intern to Talk of the Nation at NPR in D.C., participating in live NPR Election Night Coverage, Presidential debate broadcasts, regular Talk of the Nation shows, and helping to plan the inaugural broadcast of ‘Talk of the World.' She enjoys engaging with her interests in books, politics, and art in the interdisciplinary world of public radio. Before becoming editorial director, Bethany was assistant news Director, a reporter and associate producer for WFDD's Triad Arts and Triad Arts Weekend. Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, Bethany enjoys calling the Piedmont home.

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