Kudzu | National Invasive Species Information Center

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Kudzu, old infestation draped on killed trees in July - Photo by James H. Miller; USDA, Forest Service

Scientific Name:

Pueraria montana var. lobata (Willd.) Maesen & S. M. Almeida ex Sanjappa & Predeep (ITIS)

Common Name:

Kudzu

Native To:

Asia (Everest et al. 1999)

Date of U.S. Introduction:

Late 1800s (Everest et al. 1999)

Means of Introduction:

Introduced as an ornamental and for erosion control (Everest et al. 1999)

Impact:

Crowds out native species (Everest et al. 1999)

Notes:

Provides kudzu resources from sources with an interest in the prevention, control, or eradication of invasive species. Our species profiles include selected highly relevant resources for the species (organized by source), and access to all species related resources included on our site.

Distribution / Maps / Survey Status

Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System (EDDMapS) - Kudzu

University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.

Provides state, county, point and GIS data. Maps can be downloaded and shared.

Images

Google Images - Kudzu

Google.

Invasive.org - Kudzu

University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.

Videos

YouTube - Invasive Species: Kudzu

Google. YouTube; Oklahoma State University. SUNUP TV.

YouTube - Kudzu Spreads North

Google. YouTube; United States Department of Agriculture.

Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source. Or, to display all related content view all resources for Kudzu.

Council or Task Force

Priority Species: Kudzu

Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office. Washington Invasive Species Council.

Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council Invasive Plant Manual - Kudzu

Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council.

Partnership

EPPO Global Database - Pueraria montana var. lobata

European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization.

Global Invasive Species Database - Pueraria montana var. lobata (vine, climber)

IUCN. Species Survival Commission. Invasive Species Specialist Group.

Invaders Factsheet: Kudzu

Ontario's Invading Species Awareness Program (Canada).

Invasive Species Compendium - Pueraria montana var. lobata

CAB International.

New York Invasive Species Information - Kudzu

New York Invasive Species Clearinghouse.

Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER) - Pueraria lobata

USDA. FS. Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry.

Texas Invasives Database - Pueraria montana

TexasInvasives.org.

The Quiet Invasion: A Guide to Invasive Species of the Galveston Bay Area - Kudzu, Japanese Arrowroot

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Galveston Bay Estuary Program; Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC).

Weeds Australia - Kudzu (Pueraria lobata)

Centre for Invasive Species Solutions; Atlas of Living Australia; Australian Government. Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.

Federal Government

Fire Effects Information System (FEIS) - Pueraria montana var. montana

USDA. FS. Rocky Mountain Research Station. Fire Sciences Laboratory.

PLANTS Database - Kudzu

USDA. NRCS. National Plant Data Center.

U.S. National Plant Germplasm System - Pueraria montana

USDA. ARS. National Genetic Resources Program. GRIN-Global.

International Government

Invasive Plants: Restricted Invasive Plants - Kudzu

Business Queensland (Australia).

State and Local Government

Plant Pest Risk Assessment for Kudzu, Pueraria montana (2013) (PDF | 1.66 MB)

Oregon Department of Agriculture.

See also: Weed Resources for more risk assessments

Forest Pests: Invasive Plants and Insects of Maryland - Kudzu (Aug 2012) (PDF | 670 KB)

Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Forest Service.

See also: Invasive Plants and Insects Fact Sheets for additional species to help control invasive species in Maryland

Invasive Species Leaflet - Pueraria montana (Mar 2010) (PDF | 206)

North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Forest Service.

See also: Forest Health Publications for more Invasive Species Leaflets

Class A Noxious Weed: Kudzu

Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board.

Division Programs: Kudzu

Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Entomology and Plant Pathology.

Field Guide: Invasive - Kudzu

Missouri Department of Conservation.

See also: Problem Plant Control (scroll to Invasive Plants section) for more information to help you identify and control most common invasive plants in Missouri

Invasive Plants in Pennsylvania: Kudzu (PDF | 211 KB)

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

See also: Invasive Plant Fact Sheets for plant species (trees, shrubs, vines, herbs and aquatic plants) that have impacted the state's natural lands

Invasive Species: Kudzu

Alabama Forestry Commission.

Kudzu (Pueraria montana or P. lobata)

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Academic

Factsheet: Kudzu (2020) (PDF | 26.8 MB)

Pennsylvania State University. Pennsylvania Sea Grant.

See also: Aquatic Invasive Species: Resources for additional species information

Kudzu (2018) (PDF | 207 KB)

Mississippi State University. Extension.

See also: Publications - Weed Control for Lawn and Garden for more resources

The History and Use of Kudzu in the Southeastern United States (2018)

Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

Introduced Species Summary Project - Kudzu

Columbia University. Center for Environmental Research and Conservation.

Invasive, Exotic Plants of the Southeast - Kudzu

North Carolina State University. Cooperative Extension. Going Native: Urban Landscaping for Wildlife with Native Plants.

Plant Profile: Pueraria montana

University of Florida. IFAS. Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants.

Citations

Everest, J.W., J.H. Miller, D.M. Ball, and M. Patterson. 1999. Kudzu in Alabama: History, Uses, and Control (PDF | 1.46 MB) Alabama Cooperative Extension System. ANR-65.
Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Pueraria montana var. lobata. [Accessed Mar 19, 2015].