When people in the South think of invasive species, they often think of kudzu. But kudzu’s place in the world of non-native invasive plant species pales in comparison with privet.
Here’s a comparison made by an article in Smithsonian Magazine:
In the latest careful sampling, the U.S. Forest Service reports that kudzu occupies, to some degree, about 227,000 acres of forestland, an area about the size of a small county and about one-sixth the size of Atlanta. That’s about one-tenth of 1 percent of the South’s 200 million acres of forest. By way of comparison, the same report estimates that Asian privet had invaded some 3.2 million acres—14 times kudzu’s territory.
There will be a privet pull tomorrow morning, Saturday November 6 from 10 a.m to 12 p.m. at Heritage Park in Mableton.
The county website gives the following information about the event:
Privet is a non-native, invasive plant that out-competes native species. We’ll be removing privet from the landscape. Join us to help restore habitat and native plant species.
We will provide clippers and tools that pull the privet right out of the ground by its roots. We will provide gardening gloves but you may bring and use your own.
Be sure to check the weather and dress accordingly. If we’re working by a creek, you do not have to get your feet wet. Please bring your own water.
60 Fontaine Rd SW
Mableton, GA 30126
- Equipment will be sanitized between all events and during events as needed.
- Increased hygiene and hand washing prior to and during events.
- Physical distance mandatory during event.
- Masks are recommended and will be worn by instructors.