Standing today in 2023, looking back at the different attitudes of China and the United States towards the fate of kudzu a hundred years ago, people can't help but feel full of emotion! In the United States, kudzu has gradually degenerated from a precious exotic ornamental plant to a headache-inducing "green nightmare"; in China, kudzu is revered as a valuable dual-use crop, which has been highly valued and cultivated on a large scale.
The attitude of the American people towards Kudzu can be described as declining all the way. Back in 1876, when the elderly lady introduced kudzu to the United States, people were curious about this exotic plant.
In her family's small garden, kudzu sprouts quickly, and the lush bushes make people marvel at this novelty.
However, who could have foreseen that this inadvertent introduction would lay a hidden danger for the future spread of kudzu in the United States? The newcomers to the United States thought that the plant would be difficult to adapt to the local environment, but they did not expect that it would not only grow at an astonishing rate, but also be able to cope with various climatic conditions with ease, and quickly spread in the eastern states.
At first, people tried their best to take care of this "new darling", but it didn't take long for them to get bored. So, they simply abandoned kudzu on the outskirts of the city and left it to fend for itself.
However, it is precisely this "casual" behavior that has created favorable conditions for the widespread spread of kudzu in the United States.
In the 30s of the 20th century, the western United States suffered from severe soil erosion, and the government had no choice but to use kudzu as a means of management to promote large-scale planting, hoping to use its developed root system to stabilize the soil and maintain water sources.
Driven by policy subsidies, a large number of kudzu conservation areas have emerged in the central and western regions, however, the good times did not last long, and this once "governance weapon" began to eat itself.
In the absence of natural predators, kudzu quickly spread across the United States, like a sinuous green dragon, engulfing everything from trees to livestock to railroad poles, presenting a vibrant yet terrifying picture.
In the face of this dire ecological crisis, the US government is helpless.
In stark contrast, the same plants are cherished and cultivated on a large scale in China.
Among the many ingredients, in addition to the famous kudzu, there is also a plant called "artichoke", which has suffered ups and downs in both China and the United States, and their fate trajectory is breathtaking!
Artichoke, this unique and mysterious plant, originally originated in Peru, South America, is a perennial winding herb with an extremely well-developed rhizome system.
It was introduced to Europe in the late 19th century as a merchant convoy across the seas, where it existed only as a curious oriental spice for the aristocracy to see and collect.
But who could have foreseen that this otherwise innocuous ornamental plant would become a serious threat to native vegetation by growing wildly across the United States?
However, the trick of fate makes people laugh and cry, and the climate and environment of Europe just meet the preference of artichokes. Driven by this "advantage", the artichoke has grown rapidly in the United States, which has had a huge impact on the local ecosystem.
In the face of the rampant epidemic of artichoke in the United States, the US government can be described as anxious. They have invested heavily in a variety of methods, including manual removal, introduction of predators, and the use of pesticides, but the results have been minimal.
The reason for this is that even if the above-ground parts of the artichok wilt, its underground root system can still survive and be rejuvenated at the right time.
It is worth mentioning that despite the calamity of artichoke in the United States, it is highly respected and cherished in China. As early as the Qing Dynasty, large-scale cultivation of artichoke began in various parts of the mainland.
After in-depth research, Chinese medicine experts found that artichoke is hot and pungent in nature, has the miraculous effect of invigorating blood and meridians, dispelling wind and dampness, and can be used to treat gout, arthritis and many other diseases.
Therefore, it is not only widely spread among the people as a common Chinese herbal medicine, but also known as a miraculous thing that can "cure all diseases".
In order to fully tap its edible value, the people of the mainland have the courage to innovate and create a series of special dishes with artichoke as the main material, such as fried meat with artichoke and chicken soup with artichoke, which have gradually become the new favorite on people's tables.
Now, when we look back on this history in 2023, we can't help but sigh that the United States is full of terror with the intertwined roots of kudzu, and the source of it all goes back a century to 1876!
Back in that special year, a great American lady in her late teens brought the world-famous magical kudzu plant to the mysterious and charming land of the United States, and since then, the journey of spreading kudzu in this land has officially begun.
At that time, people were full of endless curiosity and freshness about this "foreigner" from a distant country, and they were all amazed by it!
In the little garden of the woman's home, kudzu sprouts quickly with its amazing vitality, and the verdant and vibrant bushes are nothing short of amazing.
It was thought that this exotic plant would not be able to adapt to its native environment, but the fact is that it not only grows at an astonishing rate, but also easily adapts to a variety of climatic conditions, and quickly spreads to the eastern states of the United States, showing great vitality.
Initially, people took great care of this "new favorite" and cultivated it as a unique ornamental plant. However, over time, frequent pruning and care has left many people feeling exhausted.
So, driven by a sense of weariness, they chose to abandon Kudzu in the jungle on the outskirts of the city. However, it was this seemingly random move that laid a solid foundation for Gegen's future large-scale expansion in the United States.
In the thirties of the twentieth century, the western United States suffered a double blow of reduced water resources and land loss, and the entire region seemed to be plunged into a man-made desert full of yellow sand.
In the face of such a severe ecological crisis, the U.S. government took decisive action to vigorously promote the cultivation of kudzu, hoping to use its developed root system to consolidate soil and water and restore ecological balance.
Attracted by huge economic subsidies, farmers in the central and western regions have devoted themselves to the cultivation of kudzu. Soon after, countless acres of Kudzu Ecological Reserve were carved out on the vast land, and these measures did control soil erosion to a certain extent and improve the ecological environment in the early days.
However, it is regrettable that in the absence of natural predators, kudzu, as an alien species, began to grow and reproduce wildly with impunity.
By the 1940s, it had spread like a wild horse from the East Coast to the entire United States, like a long green dragon that twisted and twisted into the trees, livestock, railroads and telephone poles, forming a unique landscape.
In the face of a serious ecological crisis that is almost out of control, the US government is helpless and overstretched! Once upon a time, they confidently hoped that manual removal alone would effectively curb the wild spread of kudzu, but soon they had to face up to the severity of the reality: no matter how many manual uprootings were made, it was only a drop in the bucket for this green monster that weaved a huge web of obscurity.
As a result, state governments have introduced the natural enemies of Kudzu for biological control, but the opposite has happened, not only failed to achieve the desired effect, but also released these natural enemies back into nature, thus further exacerbating the imbalance of ecological balance.
Today, the United States invests hundreds of millions of dollars every year in the prevention and control of kudzu, and they have tried various methods such as fire, spraying pesticides, and using mechanical damage, but they have not been able to completely eliminate this ecological disaster at its root.