North carolina volunteers battle invasive kudzu that once decorated porches but now fuels dangerous wildfires

Every Monday morning in the steep hills of North Carolina’s Norman Wilder Forest, an unlikely battle unfolds. Five restoration specialists from Conserving Carolina lead volunteer crews armed with chainsaws, heavy gloves, and specialized tools called mattocks on a mission to hunt down one of the South’s most persistent invaders: kudzu.

This aggressive vine, which has earned the notorious nickname “the plant that ate the South,” arrived in America as a harmless ornamental decoration for front porches. Today, however, kudzu presents a far more serious threat than simply smothering native vegetation. The invasive species has transformed into what fire experts call “ladder fuel” – dried plant matter that allows ground fires to climb into tree canopies, creating devastating crown fires that are much harder to control and extinguish.

The weekly volunteer efforts in Tryon, North Carolina represent a growing recognition that invasive species management is becoming critical for wildfire prevention. As climate change increases fire risks across the southeastern United States, the thick mats of kudzu blanketing forests create dangerous tinderboxes. What once seemed like merely an aesthetic nuisance – kudzu vines draping over trees and abandoned buildings – now poses genuine safety risks to communities.

The restoration work is labor-intensive and ongoing, requiring volunteers to physically cut and remove the stubborn vines that can grow up to a foot per day during peak season. This grassroots approach highlights how environmental challenges often require community-level solutions, turning local citizens into frontline defenders against both invasive species and wildfire threats.