Real Grass Roots!

New Growth, Lakeview-New Orleans, LA 8/2007

all reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner

LSU prof says grass can fight termites, levee leaks

The Wall Street Journal has a front-page profile of Gregg Henderson, an entomologist at the LSU AgCenter, who is touting a cure for two issues that plague New Orleans -- levee leaks and termites. Henderson says vetiver grass, a tall grass with a massive root structure, could reinforce levees and discourage the Formosan termites gobbling up the Crescent City. Vetiver grass repels termites and other bugs. But the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is skeptical of Henderson's claims and concerned about introducing a non-native plant, which could be a problem if vetiver is invasive.

Read the article here.