The History
Murray State University professor of Plant Ecology Kate He traces its first appearance in the U.S. to 1876 at the centennial expo in Philadelphia.
“The Japanese delegation brought Kudzu for ornamental purposes as an ornamental horticulture plant for decorations at their booth at the event. The local people saw it and liked it because they look very pretty with purple, red flowers, they are just like pea flowers (they belong to the same family) and also the three lobed leaves make it look really robust,” said He. “They thought it would make a good gardening species, so they tried to plant it in gardens.”
Initially, that wasn’t too bad, she said, because it was contained in pots or gardens in botanical settings.
The problem, according to He, really began in the 1930s when the U.S. government promoted the plant species to fight soil erosion.
“They even provided incentives. They paid like 8 dollars per acre to the farmers,” she said. “And especially in places like Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia, Tennessee, the southern states. And they planted so much.”
Unintended Consequences
“You know the old expression: the path to Hades is paved with good intentions - and that’s what Kudzu is,” said Western Kentucky author and historian Berry Craig.
“Once it starts growing, it takes over everything,” he said. “It grows a foot a day. You could almost sit and watch if you wanted to.”
Dr. He said that while the plant did help with soil erosion, the situation quickly got out of control, “They indeed cover everything, not just cover the ground, but they cover the trees, whatever subject they attach to… The growth rate is very fast and also they can reproduce quickly. They can do it by seeds, they also can do it vegetatively, like they just send out runners, we call them runners or rhizomes. Whenever there's a node, the new plants can come about and spread, so this spreads super quickly.”
Why is it so hard to get rid of?
By the time the federal government figured out that Kudzu was going to get out of control and the USDA scientists decided they needed to stop the spread, it was too late – a pandora’s box, Dr. He said. Once planted and the spread has happened, it becomes difficult to contain or remove it.
He said that’s in large part because of their massive fleshy taproot system. “If you want to get rid of the plants, you really have to get the roots out. It's hard to get rid of Kudzu completely,” she said. “They come out again, because the root is still alive, so even burning it out is not going to get rid of it.”
Hickman Kentucky resident Tyler Dunn says a kudzu infestation is one of the worst things you can have on your property.
“I lived on the bluff side for years, and kudzu took over the neighbor's house and pulled it down. Kudzu can grow up to 12 inches a day, and if you let it go, it'll tear everything down: your house, your shed, your shop,” Dunn said. “If I ever wanted to do something bad to my enemies, I would just walk by and throw some kudzu in their yard.”
Well, there you have it: from a Japanese ornamental decoration to a 1930s erosion fighting strategy to a ‘mile-a-minute vine’ that is worthy of wishing on your enemies.
That’s the story of Kudzu, the vine that ate the south.
We’re covering everything you want to know about our region on Question of the Week. Have a question? Submit yours here.
