Kudzu

invasive plants · vines · Asia · nature gone wild

Super speedy grower. Kudzu can grow up to a foot per day in warm weather, which means it can cover an entire building or forest in just a few months. That's faster than almost any other plant on Earth.

Native to Asia. Kudzu originally comes from East Asia, Southeast Asia, and some Pacific islands where it grows naturally alongside other plants. People brought it to North America in the 1800s, thinking it would be helpful for stopping soil from washing away.

Takes over everything. In North America, kudzu became invasive, meaning it spread out of control and smothered other plants, trees, and even buildings under its thick blanket of vines. Nothing really eats it or stops it there, so it just keeps growing.

Loses leaves in winter. Kudzu is deciduous, which means it drops all its leaves when cold weather comes and grows them back in spring. This is different from many other climbing vines.

Called by many names. In Asia, people call it Japanese arrowroot or Chinese arrowroot because it has edible roots and parts that have been used for food and medicine for thousands of years.