Kudzu Vine: How to Control Pueraria Montana
Kudzu Vine, Pueraria Montana, is a dicotyledonous deciduous legume vine that produces tuber roots and dark brown rope stems and can climb up to 20 meters (65 feet) (Figure 13-10). Young stems hairy, leaves trilobate, also hairy (Figure 13-10a). It produces beautiful reddish-purple pea-shaped flowers that lead to dark brown hairy pods.
How it is spread
Spread over long-distance by people moving live plants.
Transported and planted for stock fodder, as herb and as garden ornamental.
Seed pods spread by sticking to clothing or animal fur.
Kudzu Vine (Pueraria montana) Ecological Threat
Kudzu will grow over anything in its path (other plants, buildings, road signs) and eventually kill other plants it covers because it blocks out sunlight. Kudzu will also girdle stems and tree trunks, break branches, and uproot trees and shrubs through the masses of vegetation produced. Kudzu has been reported to grow roughly one foot per day once established.
Total eradication of kudzu is necessary to prevent re-growth. This requires continuous monitoring and thoroughness when treating. To prevent reestablishment, replanting after treatment is critical. Prevent the production of viable seed and destroy the plant's ability to reproduce vegetatively.
Cutting: Vines and runners are chopped just above the ground level, and the pieces destroyed. Early in the season, cutting is repeated at two-week intervals, to weaken the crown and prevent resumption of photosynthesis. Later in the season, when the stored energy in the taproot has been reduced, the interval between cuttings can be extended. Cutting does not typically kill roots and should only be used to control the spread of kudzu.
Kudzu Vine (Pueraria montana) BackgroundKudzu Vine (Pueraria montana) Control MethodsKudzu Vine (Pueraria montana) Legal requirements
Kudzu Vine (Pueraria montana) Background
Kudzu was introduced to the United States from Japan in 1876 at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, as an ornamental plant. In early 1900s, it was recognized and promoted as a forage crop and planted throughout the southeastern U.S. In the 1930s and 1940s, the Soil Conservation Service paid southern farmers to plant kudzu to reduce soil erosion on deforested lands, resulting in over 1 million acres being planted. Kudzu, nicknamed “the vine that ate the South,” was recognized as a pest weed in the 1950s and removed from the list of acceptable species in the Agricultural Conservation Program. In 1998, it was listed as a federal noxious weed by the U.S. Congress.How it is spread
Spread over long-distance by people moving live plants.
Transported and planted for stock fodder, as herb and as garden ornamental.
Seed pods spread by sticking to clothing or animal fur.
Kudzu Vine (Pueraria montana) Ecological Threat
Kudzu will grow over anything in its path (other plants, buildings, road signs) and eventually kill other plants it covers because it blocks out sunlight. Kudzu will also girdle stems and tree trunks, break branches, and uproot trees and shrubs through the masses of vegetation produced. Kudzu has been reported to grow roughly one foot per day once established.
Kudzu Vine (Pueraria montana) Control Methods
Preventive MeasuresTotal eradication of kudzu is necessary to prevent re-growth. This requires continuous monitoring and thoroughness when treating. To prevent reestablishment, replanting after treatment is critical. Prevent the production of viable seed and destroy the plant's ability to reproduce vegetatively.
Mechanical
Grubbing: Using a pulaski or similar digging tool, remove the entire plant, including the taproot. Removed vegetation should be destroyed by burning or bagging. Because many roots exceed 1.8 m, eradication by this method is very difficult and should be considered primarily for small initial incursions.Cutting: Vines and runners are chopped just above the ground level, and the pieces destroyed. Early in the season, cutting is repeated at two-week intervals, to weaken the crown and prevent resumption of photosynthesis. Later in the season, when the stored energy in the taproot has been reduced, the interval between cuttings can be extended. Cutting does not typically kill roots and should only be used to control the spread of kudzu.