Press Release: The Kudzu

Presley Mbulu
February 12th 2012

The Kudzu is an invasive plant species native to China and Japan, however it has started to grow well
in the Southeastern United States. It is a vine that if left uncontrolled it will grow exponentially over
almost any stationary object. Expanding and spreading at an average rate of 150,000 acres annually.
Unfortunately the Southeastern part of U.S. allows the plant to reproduce almost continuously, because
of the environment. The warm wet weather with hardly any freezes, allows the plant to grow year
round.

The introduction of the Kudzu to the United States dated back in 1876 at the Centennial Exposition in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Varies countries around the world were invited to build displays to
celebrate the 100th birthday of the U.S. The Japanese constructed a beautiful garden filled with plants
from their country, this containing the Pueraria lobata plant species, or as simply called the Kudzu. It is
easily surpassing the use of herbicide spraying and mowing, and it steadily increased the costs the
control by $6 million annually. Its introduction has produced many environmental consequences
aswell. The effects of the Kudzu on the ecosystem are specifically can eliminate the native plants and
unavoidably upset the natural diversity of plant and animal communities. This is because of the rapid
growth, it tends to block the sunlight of many other plants and vegetation. The large roots of the plants
in the soil alters the hydrology of the area, which means less water for other species of plants and It has
made farm land and grazing land useless. Overall, it has destroyed millions of dollars of harvests,
attacked farmland, and damaged many buildings.

Because of the growth rate of approximately 1 foot per day, like stated earlier, the introduction of the
species grows rapidly and uses the resources that had previously been used by native species. With
small access to resources such as sunlight, water, or soil the native species may begin to die. When a
part of species in the ecosystem dies, the ecosystem eventually is altered. Land animals, Birds or
insects the relied on a particular plant would go without their resources, and this will eventually go
down the food chain and creating a chain reaction in the ecosystem.

Kudzu can have several negative economic effects, As stated earlier, and many administrations spend a
lot of money controlling thekudzu, this includes, National and State Parks, and Railroad companies that
must prevent the vine from growing over rails which could result in slipping of trains.

Kudzu, with a deep and extensive root system, sometimes up to 17 cm in diameter, it is challenging to
control once it has become settled in an area, But there are many ways humanity has tried to control the
kudzu plant, mechanical and chemical. These include Cutting, mowing, grazing, burning, herbicides
(some common herbicides used are Tordon and Triclopyr and the most effective are Picloram and
Tebuthiurn)
The kudzu plant can not be eradicated in short periods of time, persistence of daily elimination, will
then only see result. For all these reasons, the Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) lately added
kudzu to the Global Invasive Species database, and named it one of the 100 worst invasive species on
Earth.
 Images Of Invasion

A house engulfed in Kudzu Plant

Light Post Invaded by Kudzu vine

Map Of Kudzu infestation in U.S

REFERENCE LIST
1. http://www.biology.duke.edu/bio217/2002/bmm10/kudzu.htm
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/botany/kudzu4.htm
1.http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/botany/kudzu4.htm
2.http://www.brighthub.com/environment/science-environmental/articles/17318.aspx
3.http://mdc.mo.gov/landwater-care/invasive-species-management/invasive-plant-
management/kudzu-control
4.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kudzu_in_the_United_States
5.http://www.jjanthony.com/kudzu/