Kudzu
Pueraria lobata
Plant Description
This deciduous perennial vine in the pea family has clusters of fragrant purple flowers and alternate compound leaves consisting of three broad leaflets that may be lobed or entire.
Plant Details
| Life Forms | |
|---|---|
| Habitats | |
| ODA Listing | |
| Soil and Moisture Conditions | |
| Suggested Actions | |
| Shade Preference | |
| Mature Height | 32-100' |
| Distribution | Mostly found in eastern US. |
| Control | Repeated mowing just above ground level; root system/root crowns must be destroyed for long-term control. |
| Reproduction and Spread | Spreadds by runners and rhizomes and vines that root at the nodes. Grows about 1 foot per day. |
| Introduced | Introduced to US from Japan in 1876. In the 1930s and 1940s the Soil Conservatoin Service paid southern farmers to plan kudzu to reduce soil erosion on deforested lands. |
| Look Alikes | grapes, porcelain berry, and bittersweet. |
| Impact | Shades out native plants; girdles and topples trees. |
| More Info |
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