Home 9 Invaders 9 Plants 9 Kudzu. Background Kudzu is a perennial climbing vine native to eastern Asia that was recently found in Leamington, Ontario. Range Outside its native range, kudzu has been widely introduced to the eastern United States and is found from New York to Florida, and as far west as Texas.
The fast-growing vine can kill trees or shrubs by cutting off nutrient supplies, weighing down a tree or shrub until it breaks, or casting dense shade. Kudzu reduces plant biodiversity by eliminating competing vegetation, including native species. The vine can host Asian soybean rust, a fungus that infects soybeans and other members of the pea family. Its rapid growth allows it to blanket trees, fences, houses and road signs. Heavy kudzu growth on hydro poles has caused power outages.
How to Identify Kudzu Leaves grow alternately on the stem, with three broad leaflets per leaf, each seven to 25 centimetres long. Young stems are yellow-green. Mature stems can reach up to 10 centimetres in diameter and are dark brown and woody, with white pits in the bark. Flowers are purple, grow in long hanging clusters and are highly fragrant.
The great kudzu invasion all started out with a mistake: The Soil Erosion Service and Civilian Conservation Corp intentionally planted it to control soil erosion in the state of Pennsylvania. But as you can see in the map above, the result is more like a fast-growing cancer than anything else.
How can you get rid of a plant that covers around a quarter of the country? As if that wasn't bad enough, kudzu also decreases the soil's ability to sequester carbon, thus contributes to climate change. In a study, researchers studying kudzu in native pine forests found that kudzu invasion leads to increased amounts of carbon released from the soil organic matter into the atmosphere.
However, if you need to deal with invasive species and don't have goats, you can conveniently rent a herd, as we've written about before with Rent-a-Goat. Harron, Paulina, et al.
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Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. August 09, Introduction: Brought to U. Identification: semi-woody vine with alternating leaves made of three oval-shaped or lobed leaflets. After 3 years, produces purple or red flowers. Known as "mile-a-minute" and "the vine that ate the South," this creeping, climbing perennial vine terrorizes native plants all over the southeastern United States and is making its way into the Midwest, Northeast, and even Oregon.
It was first introduced to the United States during the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in where it was touted as a great ornamental plant for its sweet-smelling blooms and sturdy vines. From the s through the s, the Soil Conservation Service promoted it as a great tool for soil erosion control and was planted in abundance throughout the south. Little did we know that kudzu is quite a killer, overtaking and growing over anything in its path.
Kudzu grows out of control quickly, spreading through runners stems that root at the tip when in contact with moist soil , rhizomes and by vines that root at the nodes to form new plants. Once established, kudzu grows at a rate of one foot per day with mature vines as long as feet. An invasive plant as fast-growing as kudzu outcompetes everything from native grasses to fully mature trees by shading them from the sunlight they need to photosynthesize.
This loss of native plants harms other plants, insects and animals that adapted alongside them, leading to cascading effects throughout an ecosystem. Over time, these effects of habitat loss can lead to species extinctions and a loss of overall biodiversity. Climate change puts a lot of stress on native species. Invasive species like kudzu are often more flexible and adaptable to change than many native plants and can outcompete them early in the growing season.
Kudzu thrives in areas with mild winters and hot summers. Climate change may be making it easier for creeping vine to spread, as winters in many areas of the U.
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