Kudzu can grow and spread rapidly, competing with, and eventually smothering, native vegetation. The vines can become quite heavy, breaking any plants they are growing over. Left unmanaged, kudzu vines can also damage buildings, overhead wires and other structures.

Figure 2: Kudzu growing over power lines
(Photos Courtesy Jack Anthony www.jackanthonyphotography.com)

What does Kudzu look like?
 
Now is the best time to look for Kudzu as it loses its leaves in the cooler months (deciduous) and is now producing new growth at the rate of 30cm a day! Kudzu stems are covered in fine yellow/brown hairs, they are up to 30 m long and can scramble over the ground or climb over other vegetation and structures. Kudzu can spread vegetatively with new roots produced wherever the long, trailing stems touch the ground.

Flowers are produced in clusters, 10–40 cm in length with each individual flower 15–25 mm long and can be pink, purple, blue or white in colour with a central patch of yellow. Individual kudzu flowers resemble pea flowers.

Figure 3: Kudzu flowers showing different colours (Photos Courtesy Jack Anthony www.jackanthonyphotography.com)

Leaves are arranged alternately along the stem with three leaflets per leaf, the bases of the two lower leaves have swollen bases. Leaflets are 8–18 cm long and 6–20 cm wide and are usually slightly lobed.

Figure 4: Kudzu leaf showing three leaflets (Courtesy Sheldon Navie)

Figure 5: Kudzu leaf showing swollen bases (Courtesy Sheldon Navie)

Seed pods are brown with long spreading hairs 4–13 cm long and 0.6–1.3 cm wide, with each pod containing 3–10 seeds. Kudzu has oval shaped seeds that are 4–5 mm long and reddish brown in colour.

Kudzu produces large underground tubers and its roots can extend for 5 m into the ground.