As a gardener, it's always frustrating to try to control a fast-growing invasive species — but that task becomes exponentially more difficult when the invasive is growing in a neighbor's yard.
One Redditor had encountered such a situation with a neighbor whose yard had become overrun with kudzu, an invasive vine. They went to the subreddit r/InvasiveSpecies to ask for advice and included several photos of the overgrown area.
"My neighborhood has a kudzu problem," they wrote. "The property that backs up to mine is chock full of it. That house is owned by a developer and has been vacant since 2018. They are simply not maintaining their yard at all, so the invasive weeds are out of control and, naturally, growing into my yard as well."
They continued, explaining that they suspected that the kudzu actually originated in a third property on the block. "Basically, I'm curious if anyone has any experience in how to engage with a neighbor like this," they wrote. "I've never met them. I don't want to seem like a crazy person, but I also don't want kudzu eating our entire block."
Invasive species like kudzu can ruin the appearance of a property — but that's the least of it. Fast-growing invasive plants can quickly dominate entire yards, smothering native plants and destroying beneficial pollinator habitats. They've even been known to engulf entire homes.
"The kudzu strangles and kills mature trees in my area," the original poster added.
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Many commenters, who had also dealt with invasive plants, were sympathetic. "It might help to suggest similar native alternatives and highlight the benefits a native would have," one person suggested.
Another had even encountered a similar situation and, fortunately, had managed to resolve it using this advice.
"When I moved into my house a couple years ago my neighbor had knotweed near the edge of the property. To him it was just another plant because he's not into gardening. I explained why it was bad, offered to manage it and told him how I would and he was perfectly ok with," one person shared. "... He just doesn't have any idea where to start."
With luck, the OP will be successful convincing their neighbor that, instead of continuing to allow rampant kudzu growth, it would be wiser to rewild their yard or switch to a natural lawn, restoring ecological balance to the community.
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