Missouri Botanical Garden Press
Love Them to Death
Turning Invasive Plants into Local Economic Opportunities
9781935641315
Distributed for Missouri Botanical Garden Press
Love Them to Death
Turning Invasive Plants into Local Economic Opportunities
Love Them to Death encourages readers to envision a variety of economic uses for the invasive plants of their region.
This peer-reviewed, edited volume brings together writings by a diverse group of independent professionals, academics, and artisans, with expertise in a wide range of plant uses—for food and drink, herbal medicines, basketry, livestock forage, biofuel, structural materials, paper, and dyes. From cultural and ecological examinations to practical applications, Love Them to Death looks at troublesome species as resources that might be safely and thoughtfully exploited.
This peer-reviewed, edited volume brings together writings by a diverse group of independent professionals, academics, and artisans, with expertise in a wide range of plant uses—for food and drink, herbal medicines, basketry, livestock forage, biofuel, structural materials, paper, and dyes. From cultural and ecological examinations to practical applications, Love Them to Death looks at troublesome species as resources that might be safely and thoughtfully exploited.
304 pages | 49 color plates, 2 halftones, 1 map | 6 x 9 | © 2025
Biological Sciences: Conservation, Ecology, Natural History
Earth Sciences: Environment
Economics and Business: Economics--Agriculture and Natural Resources
Reviews
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: When Kudzu Ate the South, Why Didn’t the South Eat Kudzu?
Katie Carter King
Chapter 2: Welcome to the Green Food Zone: Wild Taro (Colocasia esculenta)
Peter J. Matthews, Mohammad Anwar Hossain & Van Dzu Nguyen
Chapter 3: A Brief Biography of Itadori: Re-storyation as an Approach to Japanese Knotweed Management
Tusha Yakovleva
Chapter 4: Cooking with Invasive Species: Culinary Suggestions for Promoting Control through Consumption
Alana N. Seaman & Alexia Franzidis
Chapter 5: Can We Love Invasive Species to Death?
Sara E. Kuebbing, Joshua Ulan Galperin & Martin A. Nuñez
Chapter 6: Turn Your Livestock into Weed Managers
Kathy Voth
Chapter 7: Invasive Plants Used in Chinese Medicine
Thomas Avery Garran
Chapter 8: Some Invasive Species of Demonstrated Medicinal Value
Wendy L. Applequist
Chapter 9: Invasive Common Reed as Valuable Bio-Resource: Lessons Learned from Europe
Franziska Eller
Chapter 10: Remediation as Harvest: Invasive Plant Species as Building Materials
Katie MacDonald & Kyle Schumann
Chapter 11: An Ethic of Care in Basketry: Weaving with Invasive Vines
Katie Grove
Chapter 12: Invasive Color: Using Invasive Species as Natural Dyes
Theresa Hornstein
Chapter 13: Fiber Optics: Do Invasive Species Look Good on Paper?
James Ojascastro
Contributors
Introduction
Chapter 1: When Kudzu Ate the South, Why Didn’t the South Eat Kudzu?
Katie Carter King
Chapter 2: Welcome to the Green Food Zone: Wild Taro (Colocasia esculenta)
Peter J. Matthews, Mohammad Anwar Hossain & Van Dzu Nguyen
Chapter 3: A Brief Biography of Itadori: Re-storyation as an Approach to Japanese Knotweed Management
Tusha Yakovleva
Chapter 4: Cooking with Invasive Species: Culinary Suggestions for Promoting Control through Consumption
Alana N. Seaman & Alexia Franzidis
Chapter 5: Can We Love Invasive Species to Death?
Sara E. Kuebbing, Joshua Ulan Galperin & Martin A. Nuñez
Chapter 6: Turn Your Livestock into Weed Managers
Kathy Voth
Chapter 7: Invasive Plants Used in Chinese Medicine
Thomas Avery Garran
Chapter 8: Some Invasive Species of Demonstrated Medicinal Value
Wendy L. Applequist
Chapter 9: Invasive Common Reed as Valuable Bio-Resource: Lessons Learned from Europe
Franziska Eller
Chapter 10: Remediation as Harvest: Invasive Plant Species as Building Materials
Katie MacDonald & Kyle Schumann
Chapter 11: An Ethic of Care in Basketry: Weaving with Invasive Vines
Katie Grove
Chapter 12: Invasive Color: Using Invasive Species as Natural Dyes
Theresa Hornstein
Chapter 13: Fiber Optics: Do Invasive Species Look Good on Paper?
James Ojascastro
Contributors