Kudzu in the United States

Common card · No. 243249

Kudzu is an invasive plant species in the United States, introduced from Asia with devastating environmental consequences, earning it the nickname "the vine that ate the South." It has been spreading rapidly in the Southern United States, "easily outpacing the use of herbicide, spraying, and mowing, as well increasing the costs of these controls by $6 million annually." Estimates of the vine's spread vary, from the United States Forest Service's 2015 estimate of 2,500 acres (1,000 ha; 10 km2) per year to the Department of Agriculture's 2009 estimate of as much as 150,000 acres (61,000 ha; 610 km2) annually. Proponents of the newer figure argue that the spread of kudzu has been overblown compared to greater threats such as Asian privet and invasive roses. They argue that kudzu's preference for edge habitats with high sun exposure (such as wooded roadsides) makes it appear more numerous than it actually is to casual observers.

Read on Wikipedia · Image Scott Ehardt, Public domain