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National Invasive Species Information Center
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Home / Terrestrial Invasives / Terrestrial Plants / Kudzu

Kudzu

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Kudzu
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)

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: Invasive and 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