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kudzu vine

16 years ago

Hi,

Has anyone tried kudzu vine in Canada, zone 5?

I would like to try it.LMK

Thanks

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Comments (9)

chazparas
16 years ago
Deanie,
please do a search on here for kudzu. It always starts a nasty thread!!!
lhendri479
16 years ago
Oh I really don't think you want Kudzu vine !! It is one of the most invasive plants ever to be let into this country. I live in NC and there is not controlling it unless you have goats that eat it. Please read about this vine first. USE GREAT CAUTION. If has strangled out all of the trees, etc here in the south.
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cowboywaltz, I will sheepishly admit to being a fellow closet kudzu fan. Before everyone jumps all over me, let me acknowledge that, yes, kudzu is definitely an invasive, noxious weed, and a big problem in a lot of areas. But it is also a plant that has some functional, economic, and aesthetic value, and I don't think it's fair to altogether discard those "pros" just because of its considerable "cons." For one thing, the degree of kudzu's invasiveness varies considerably across the South depending on local climate and conditions, ranging from being horribly out-of-control in some places to being merely a rambunctious nuisance in others. And also, very importantly, it doesn't spread by seed very readily in most places, so its potential for popping up far away from a single parent plant is generally pretty low. That means that IF someone plants it in one place, and is very consistent and conscientious about managing it to control its spread, it can be responsibly grown for its virtuous attributes, without worrying too much about it threatening local ecosystems. The biggest problems with kudzu in the South have come from its use for bank cover and erosion control in big, open areas like highway embankments. In those places, it was impossible or impractical to manage it closely enough to prevent it from escaping vegetatively, and so its phenomenal growth rate allowed it to spread far and wide, and become a major environmental problem. But if you're careful, I'm sure you can continue to grow it in your yard without hurting anyone else (although I'm not exactly clear on why you'd want to, when there are so many other outstanding vines for quick summer cover on a trellis). Personally, I wouldn't consider growing even a small amount of kudzu anywhere in the foothills or low-elevation mountainous areas of the Southern Appalachians, since it's such a problem in those places. Elsewhere maybe, although on principle it still might be better not to. Kudzu doesn't produce a lot of viable seeds, and the sale and transport of them may be technically illegal in a lot of places anyway, so getting your hands on them may be hard. I'm sure you can cajole someone somewhere into selling or swapping you pieces of dormant kudzu crowns, although it would seem a whole lot simpler to just dig a few up from the side of the road somewhere. If you'd like an "official" source for it, one place is Plant Delights, which is now offering a variegated kudzu cultivar through mail order. I've seen their original plant there, and it's fairly attractive, but I wouldn't call it beautiful. But it might be worth considering. I hope (or at least, I suppose I hope) this helps! Here is a link that might be useful: 'Sherman's Revenge' variegated kudzu from Plant Delights
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Oops, neither fruits nor flowers, I meant to say. But are these little buds where those would have formed? I have now looked up porcelain berry vines (thanks for that lead). At first I thought the leaves were the wrong shape, but a closer look sometimes showed one or two heart-shapes leaves in with the photographed clusters. Maybe my vines are very young? We had an unbelievably wet summer, which could have spurred sudden growth. The stem was very thick and woody, so I guess this was crawling across the upper tree branches for a long while before we noticed it.
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Carrie B
16 years ago
It's here in Philadelphia, now. In part due to global climate change, it's moving north. Just sit still for a bit and it'll come to you. No need to go looking for it.
deanie
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks. Do you think it will get all the way to canada? I see seeds for sale in one of the seed catalogues. I don't think it would spread much here because of the climate but I guess i better not try it. Is it that bad in the northern states?
Carrie B
16 years ago
Depending on what happens with the climate, it may very well get to - and become a problem in - Canada. As I said, it's arrived in Philadelphia, and is steadily moving north. It will probably develop hardier and hardier strains as it moves. I really would not risk it.
ala8south
16 years ago
deanie...it isn't worth ANY risk at all! You would be amazed at how fast the stuff grows. We had a patch of it next to a house we lived in here in south alabama. The kids and I measured it's growth one day...great homeschool project. One day a sprig of the plant actually grew nearly 2 feet! It completely covers trees, power poles, tractors, and houses. Don't try it! The only good part of kudzu is you can make jelly from it's flowers. Of course that means you have to be very careful picking the blossoms since rattlesnakes tend to love to bed down underneath the stuff.
deanie
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks everyone. I won't try the stuff then!
duluthinbloomz4
16 years ago
I'm glad you're convinced, but if you want some absolute reinforcement - look at the images of kudzu on Google. I'm amazed this is still found in catalogs.

From the Global Invasive Species Databas listing Kudzu "the vine that ate the South" as one of the 100 most invasive:

Pueraria montana var. lobata is a ropelike semiwoody leguminous vine with a twining and trailing growth habit that can form dense infestations covering ground and trees. It is reported to infest about 2 to 3 million hectacres in the Eastern U.S. and results in estimated loses of $500US million per year in land productivity and control costs. It inhabits temperate zones, or higher altitudes in the tropics, and can be found growing in almost all eco-types from the driest flatwoods to the margins of permanent bodies of water.
Common Names: kudzu, kudzu vine, Kudzu-Kletterwein
whalemstr
16 years ago
This is the type of thing that should be farmed for turning into bio fuels! With a growth like that - water it with recycled waste water from the treatment plants and then harvest every few days and bio fuel it!

I agree with all - do not want it near ya!!
Have seen where it lives up to it's name - The Vine That Ate The South! :(

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