Kudzu

"The vine that ate the South"

Kudzu can grow up to 60 feet per season, or about one foot per day. It has no natural predators in the USA.

Kudzu was intentionally introduced to North America by the Soil Erosion Service and Civilian Conservation Corp in 1876 for the purpose of controlling soil erosion. In the 135 years since its introduction, kudzu has spread over three million hectares (ha) of the southern United States, and continues to ‘consume’ the south at an estimated rate of 50,000 hectares (120,000 acres) per year, destroying power lines, buildings, and native vegetation in its path.

Kudzu kills or damages other plants by smothering them under a blanket of leaves, encompassing tree trunks, breaking branches, or even uprooting entire trees. Kudzu’s ability to grow quickly, survive in areas of low nitrogen availability, and acquire resources quickly allows it to out-compete native species.

Over the years little success has been achieved in trying to combat the continuing spread of kudzu. However, there have been recent reports of a new bug inadvertantly imported from Asia in 2009 that eats kudzu. Unfortunately it also eats soybean plants as well and already have shown evidence of significantly reducing soybean production in some areas. The story of the benefits and the destructive nature of the kudzu bug will be unfolding over the next few years as the bug infestation spreads and means of controlling it are developed.