Kudzu where is it found

From the s through the s, the Soil Conservation Service promoted it as a great tool for soil erosion control and was planted in abundance throughout the south. Little did we know that kudzu is quite a killer, overtaking and growing over anything in its path. Kudzu grows out of control quickly, spreading through runners stems that root at the tip when in contact with moist soil , rhizomes and by vines that root at the nodes to form new plants.

Once established, kudzu grows at a rate of one foot per day with mature vines as long as feet. An invasive plant as fast-growing as kudzu outcompetes everything from native grasses to fully mature trees by shading them from the sunlight they need to photosynthesize.

This loss of native plants harms other plants, insects and animals that adapted alongside them, leading to cascading effects throughout an ecosystem. Over time, these effects of habitat loss can lead to species extinctions and a loss of overall biodiversity. Climate change puts a lot of stress on native species. Invasive species like kudzu are often more flexible and adaptable to change than many native plants and can outcompete them early in the growing season. Kudzu thrives in areas with mild winters and hot summers.

Climate change may be making it easier for creeping vine to spread, as winters in many areas of the U. Climate change also can lead to more regional drought, an opportunity for this versatile killer. Kudzu is able to weather dry periods with its deep root systems and then take over where native plants could not survive. Learn more about climate change here. It depends how large the patch is. Newer, smaller patches can be controlled with persistent weeding.

For larger growths, the vines should be cut near the ground and then carefully treated with one of a variety of herbicides. Critical Reviews in Plant Science 23 5.

Harrington, Timothy B. Rader-Dixon, and John W. Taylor Jr. Kudzu Pueraria montana community responses to herbicides, burning, and high-density loblolly pine. Weed Science 51 6 : Miller, J. Kudzu: Where did it come from?

And how can we stop it? Southern Journal of Applied Forestry pp. Randall, J. Invasive Plants:Weeds of the Global Garden. Brooklyn Botanic Garden Club, Inc. Handbook No. Kudzu Pueraria montana var. Almeida is a large, trifoliate-leaved, semi-woody, trailing or climbing perennial vine in the Fabaceae legume or pea family. Up close, kudzu might at first be confused with a vigorous poison ivy plant.

But kudzu stems are distinctly hairy, and the vines twine rather than use hairy rootlets to climb as poison ivy does. The vines may grow up to 60 feet in a single season and as much as 1 foot during a single day in the early summer. This amount of vine growth is supported by starchy, tuberous roots that can reach a depth of 12 feet in older patches and weigh as much as to pounds.

Kudzu is well-adapted to Alabama and is found throughout the state. It will grow on a wide range of soil types, but does better on deep, loamy soils compared to very light sands or poorly drained, heavy clay soils or those with high pH.

Kudzu exhibits a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which may help explain its successful growth on heavily eroded sites.

Vines grow outward in all directions, and roots grow down from a root crown located on the soil surface. Vines growing along the ground can root every foot or so at the nodes and form new root crowns that can become independent plants. Mature stands may contain tens of thousands of plants per acre and can create mats up to 8 feet thick.

Vines climb by twining, but cannot twine around smooth objects with diameters greater than approximately 8 inches. Trailing, prostrate vines generally die back to the root crown after the first heavy frost.

Vigorous, climbing vines greater than one-quarter inch in diameter can overwinter, but the leaves will be killed by the first frost. Climbing vines can reach 10 inches and greater in diameter, putting on what appear to be annual growth rings and developing rough, dark brown bark. Kudzu blooms from July through September.

The fragrant, pealike purple flowers are typically produced on plants that are climbing or draped over vegetation or other objects, as vines rarely flower when trailing on the ground. Flowers are followed by flat, hairy seed pods; however, seed production and viability are highly variable. Seeds mature on the vines in October and November. Longevity of seeds in the soil is not known. Last accessed September 18, Approximately 15 species of kudzu Pueraria spp.

For more than 2, years, Asian cultures have found great value in kudzu. Chinese records tell of kudzu roots being dried and diced for medicinal purposes as early as During the s, kudzu was imported into Japan where the roots were ground into flour.

Kudzu flour is still imported to the United States and sold in many Asian grocery and health food stores. However, all the plants were destroyed by law after the exhibition. In the late nineteenth century, kudzu seeds were imported and sold for use as an ornamental vine to shade porches and courtyards of southern homes. It was also appreciated for the grape-like fragrance of its flowers and for its vigorous growth. By the turn of the century, kudzu was available through mail-order catalogs.

By , through the efforts of C. Pleas of Chipley, Florida, kudzu was promoted as inexpensive forage for livestock.

In the s, kudzu reached the height of its prominence. The Soil Erosion Service later renamed the Soil Conservation Service and now the Natural Resource Conservation Service , established by Congress in , was charged to reduce soil erosion caused by poor farming practices in the South.

About 85 million kudzu plants were given to southern landowners by the Soil Erosion Service for land revitalization and to reduce soil erosion and add nitrogen to the soil.

The Civilian Conservation Corps also planted kudzu throughout the South. About 3 million acres of kudzu had been planted on farms by Ironically, due to difficulties in establishment, many of these initial plantings did not survive. In the s, numerous kudzu clubs were formed throughout the South.

Kudzu festivals were held, and kudzu queens were crowned. In , Channing Cope, a journalist and radio show host in Covington, Georgia, founded the Kudzu Club of America, which eventually had a membership of about 20, individuals. By the early s, kudzu had largely become a nuisance. It had spread rapidly throughout the South because of the long growing season, warm climate, plentiful rainfall, and lack of disease and insect enemies.