# Kudzu (*Pueraria montana*) Kudzu is a fast-growing vine that can cover trees, buildings, and even the ground with its green leaves. It's known for its ability to spread quickly and create dense thickets. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 15 - **Habitat:** Urban areas - **Also known as:** Japanese Arrowroot, Southern Vine ![Kudzu](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Flowering_kudzu.jpg&width=800) Photo: Photo by Peggy Greb., Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flowering_kudzu.jpg) ## Appearance The Kudzu is a fast-growing, woody vine known for its large, three-part leaves, often carpeting entire landscapes. Its distinctive purple, pea-like flowers grow in upright clusters and emit a sweet, grape-like scent. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Fabales - **Family:** Fabaceae - **Genus:** Pueraria ## Interesting facts - It was first introduced to America as a beautiful ornamental plant at a world's fair. - Its beautiful purple flowers smell exactly like sweet grape candy or muscadine grapes! - Kudzu roots can grow massive, some weighing over 400 pounds! - People use kudzu to make paper, flour, jelly, and even strong woven baskets. ## Special abilities - **Rapid Growth Spurt:** Kudzu can grow up to a foot a day to quickly cover vast areas and outcompete other plants for sunlight. - **Soil Enrichment:** Kudzu has special root nodules that fix nitrogen from the air, enriching the soil and boosting its rapid growth. - **Super Sprouter:** Kudzu can sprout new roots from stem nodes, allowing it to spread aggressively and form new plants from broken pieces. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-3000 cm - **Spread:** 100-3000 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [Kudzu bug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/kudzu-bug) (*Megacopta cribraria*) — Feeds on kudzu sap and leaves, sometimes causing damage. - **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits its purple flowers for nectar, producing kudzu honey. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Deer often browse on young kudzu shoots and leaves. - **Symbiotic with:** Nitrogen-fixing bacteria (*Bradyrhizobium japonicum*) — Lives in its roots to provide nitrogen, fueling its rapid growth. ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Nitrogen Fixing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nitrogen-fixing): Describes organisms capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into compounds usable by plants. - [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. - [Invasive](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/invasive): Invasive species are non-native organisms that cause harm to the environment, economy, or human health. ## Collections - [Invasive Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/invasive-species) - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Avoid touching or eating kudzu as it can be harmful if consumed. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Kudzu? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Kudzu? 10-3000 cm ### How wide does Kudzu spread? 100-3000 cm ### How big are the flowers on Kudzu? 1-2 cm ### When does Kudzu bloom? Summer ### Is Kudzu edible? Yes ### Is Kudzu toxic? None ### What is Kudzu's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Anderson University](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/anderson-university) — South Carolina, US · Campus - [Columbia Historic District I](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/columbia-historic-district-i) — South Carolina, US · Historic District - [Concord](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/concord) — Tennessee, US · Neighborhood - [Fairlie-Poplar](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fairlie-poplar) — Georgia, US · Neighborhood - [Georgia Institute of Technology Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/georgia-institute-of-technology-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Manchester](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/manchester) — Virginia, US · Neighborhood [View all places to see Kudzu](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/kudzu) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Kudzu: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/kudzu)