Kudzu, scientific name Pueraria montana var lobata, has been called America’s most infamous weed, and the vine that ate the South. Does it really deserve this reputation? Is it really ‘taking over’ Bedford?
The picture below was taken in the town of Bedford in November 2022.
So, What Is Kudzu?
Kudzu is a semi-woody vine with alternating leaves made of lobed leaflets. It grows rapidly, up to a foot a day and outcompetes everything growing near it. It spreads through runners (stems that root at the tip), rhizomes, and by vines that root at the nodes to form new plants. Kudzu is an herb used in Chinese medicine to treat a wide variety of ailments. Lab studies have suggested some anti-inflammatory properties of kudzu. While it is often referred to as the “vine that ate the south”, it has made its way into the Midwest, Northeast, and even Oregon.
Vines may grow up to 60 foot in a single season. Roots can reach a depth of 12 feet, enabling it to weather dry periods and take over when other plants can’t survive. Mature roots can weigh as much as 200-300 pounds. Vines growing along the ground can root every foot or so at the nodes. Mature vines have a fragrant pealike purple flower, blooming from July through Sept.
When the plants are young, they produce high-quality forage that is eaten by livestock and poultry. However, it loses its forage quality as it grows larger. Kudzu serves as a host for significant agricultural diseases and insect pests, including Asian soybean rust and the kudzu bug (a true stink bug).
It grows best in roadsides where there are no grazers to eat it. It rarely penetrates deeply into forests and suffers in shade.
A Bit of History
The kudzu plant, native to Japan and southeast China, was brought to U.S. in 1876 as an ornamental, during the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. It has been used in Asia to make grass cloth and paper and was purported to have many medicinal uses. In the 1700’s kudzu was ground into flour, which is still imported to the U.S. and sold in many Asian grocery and health food stores. The sturdy kudzu vines can be used to make baskets and artwork.
In 1900 kudzu was sold as an ornamental vine to shade porches and courtyards of southern homes. From the 1930s–1950s it was promoted by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture for erosion control. The government paid up to $8 an acre to plant kudzu to curb erosion and add nitrogen to the soil.
In the 1940’s kudzu clubs were formed throughout the South and festivals were held and kudzu queens were crowned. By 1953, Kudzu had become somewhat of a nuisance and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture removed it from the list of cover plants permissible under the Agriculture Conservation program. In 1970, the USDA listed kudzu as a common weed in the South and in 1997 Congress placed kudzu on the Federal Noxious Weed list. While it is no longer on the Federal Noxious Weed list, kudzu is listed as a noxious weed in 13 states.
Kudzu often becomes invasive in noncropland areas such as right-of-ways, old fields, vacant lots, or yards of abandoned or little used buildings. It is a serious weed in urban forests.
https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/forestry-wildlife/the-history-and-use-of-kudzu-in-the-southeastern-united-states/ History and use of Kudzu in the Southeast United States. Extension Alabama A&M & Auburn University
Retrieved 11/15/22
So, Is It Eating the South (Bedford)?
A U.S. Forest Service reports that kudzu occupies, to some degree, about 227,000 acres of forestland, an area about one-sixth the size of Atlanta. That’s about one-tenth of 1 percent of the South’s 200 million acres of forest. The same report estimates that Asian privet has invaded some 3.2 million acres, 14 times kudzu’s territory. Invasive roses covered more than three times as much forestland as kudzu. Kudzu is a good poster child for the impact of invasive species because it is so visible. Claims that kudzu covers millions of acres today are not substantiated.
So, while kudzu may not have eaten the South, or be eating Bedford County, it is a noxious weed. It disrupts native ecosystems, threatens natural resources, and inhibits use of forest land where it is pervasive. Land infested with kudzu has little or no value. Native wildlife get no benefit from a forest covered in kudzu and deer rarely browse kudzu.
Eradication of Kudzu
Cutting, grazing, digging, disking, prescribed burning and application of herbicides have all been used to control kudzu.
Kudzu does not tolerate cultivation or repeated mowings. Newer patches can be controlled with persistent weeding. According to Perdue University, continuous mowing and grazing will weaken and eventually control the plant. However, this may take several years even for a small patch. This method is not useful where the terrain is rugged, where the vines do not originate in the mowed area, or there are ditches, stumps, fallen logs, or gullies that make mowing hazardous. Also, the tough fibrous vines often clog mowing machines.
Larger growths should be cut near the ground and then carefully treated with one of a variety of herbicides in the late summer when plants are more susceptible. This may take multiple treatments over up to five years.
Biodegradable glyphosphate herbicides have been used for control of kudzu in natural areas. Because glyphosphate is a systemic, non-selective herbicide that affects all green vegetation, treatments should be carefully timed and applied by trained applicators. While there are chemical herbicides recommended for control of kudzu, many of these may only be used by trained professionals in residential settings. Contact your local Extension Office if you have questions about eradicating kudzu.
References:
https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/document/fspulo.pdf Invasive Alien Plant Species of Virginia. Retrieved 11/15/22
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/kudzu
University of Maryland. Retrieved 11/15/22
https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/terrestrial/plants/kudzu
USDA National Invasive Species Information Center, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
Retrieved 11/15/22
https://ssl.acesag.auburn.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-2249/ANR-2249-archive.pdf Kudzu Control in Forests, Right-of-Wau and Natural Areas
Alabama Extension. Retrieved 11/15/22
Article written by Phyllis T., Bedford Extension Master Gardener