Kudzu Pueraria montana var. lobata 

Basic info - Kudzu vine was brought to the US from Japan and southern China in 1876 as an ornamental, then was recommended as erosion control by the US government in the 1930's to 50's. As it turns out, Kudzu is an extremely aggressive, fast-growing vine that can quickly grow to cover and smother out native flora. Now known as "the vine that ate the South," it has grown to cover more than 7 million acres of land in the US. 

Impacts - This vine climbs and grows over everything, creating a thick blanket of leaves which blocks out the sun, degrading or killing the plants below. Its sheer weight breaks branches and uproots entire trees and shrubs, and its vines girdle woody stems and tree trunks. Native plants cannot hope to compete or break out from the dense thicket, as Kudzu has been known to grow up to a foot per day, earning it another nickname: "mile-a-minute." It spreads via seed, runner, rhizomes, and can also root at the node to form new plants. Kudzu also acts as a host for soybean rust disease, which can devastate soybean agriculture. 

Identification - Kudzu is a climbing, semi-woody vine with large, compound leaves. Each leaflet may or may not be lobed, and can be up to 4 inches across [4]. It flowers in late summer, producing purple, sweet-smelling flowers that are about 1/2 an inch long [4]. Kudzu fruit looks like a brown, hairy pea pod, each containing up to 10 hard seeds. 

What can you do to help? - If you've identified some kudzu, or think you might have but aren't sure, you can report your discovery on the EDDMapS (Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System) app or website, or upload an image of it to the iNaturalist app. 

For smaller, less established patches of Kudzu vine, persistent weeding, mowing, and even grazing can eventually control or eradicate the plant. Cattle grazing has been shown to be especially effective. If the stand of Kudzu is already well established, herbicide application and prescribed burning are easiest to accomplish at scale. Never compost invasive plants!

If one wants to eradicate kudzu completely, every vine in and around an area must be completely destroyed and disposed of, or it will simply recolonize the area. Learn more about containing, managing, and eradicating Kudzu vine here. 

Some native alternatives to Kudzu include Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), Kentucky wisteria (Wisteria macrostachya), or Trumpet vine (Campis radicans).