Les Jones: Exotic Plants in Knoxville

November 26, 2003

East Tennessee > Exotic Plants in Knoxville

Terri Killeffer sends along this story about the fight to control exotic pests on Knoxville greenways. (Standard News-Sentinel warning: this online story will self-destruct in no time at all, so read it soon.)

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, invasive plant infestations cover about 100 million acres and are spreading at a rate of 14 percent a year, an area twice the size of Delaware.
During a recent walk along Knoxville's Third Creek Greenway, Ranney stopped at a junction where the railroad tracks, the path and Third Creek converged. The list of exotics at this site included mimosa trees, privet, Japanese honeysuckle and kudzu, just to name a few.

I've been trying to eradicate mimosas around my house for years, but it's like trying to kill Mr. Magoo. I spray Roundup on them, but I think it just gets them high. After that they burn incense and put Phish on the stereo. Then they make sweet love and have little baby mimosas.

Posted by lesjones

Comments

What do you have against champaign and orange juice? Other than the horrid taste, of course.

Posted by: SayUncle at November 25, 2003

It's a waste of perfectly good orange juice that could be used to make bocci balls. Mmmmm... bocci balls.

Posted by: Les Jones at November 26, 2003

People always go for a bottle of Roundup when what they need is 2,4-D (that's what Agent Orange is a derivative of).
Or an elephant or goats or yaks. (browsers).
Cows make trees, goats make grass. -Old African saying.

Posted by: Dan at February 08, 2008