In 1876, representatives from countries around the world came to the U.S. to celebrate the centennial, and many brought with them traditional foods and plants to share. Japan's contribution was a vine called kudzu. American botanists fell in love with its flower blossoms and eventually with its ability to alleviate erosion. The plant's quick growth and durable vines made it good for keeping soil in place, but also meant more and more kudzu in places it wasn't originally planted.
Controlling Kudzu
According to The Amazing Story of Kudzu by Max Shores of the Alabama Center for Public TV & Radio, when studies began showing that kudzu harmed forests by blocking sunlight from the trees, the Forest Service in Alabama started looking for a way to kill it. Kudzu, which can grow a foot per day during the summer, was officially deemed a weed in 1972. Since then, farmers, ecologists and biodiversity experts have tried various ways of killing or controlling this vine, but some inventive folks have discovered practical uses for kudzu.
Kudzu as Medicine
In Natural Treatments for Alcoholism, Jennifer Graham writes that after centuries of use in Chinese medicine for the same purpose, researchers in 2009 found that the isoflavones in kudzu can combat alcohol addiction by causing nausea when mixed with alcohol.
Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham published an article in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry in 2009, finding that kudzu could be used as a dietary supplement by the 50 million Americans suffering from metabolic syndrome. This effect comes from the same isoflavones that can fight alcohol addiction. Not only did the researchers find that kudzu helped with metabolic syndrome, but that it attacked some of the causes of this disease that can cause other diseases as well: high blood pressure, high cholesterol and blood glucose.
Kudzu as Biofuel
In 2008 the Discovery Channel reported on a promising new use for "the plant that ate the South:" ethanol, a biofuel often made from corn. Making ethanol from corn is controversial because it creates competition with food producers, but making it from kudzu, researchers assume, wouldn't offend anyone. The plant's roots produce a large amount of carbohydrates, the main factor in making ethanol, and since kudzu doesn't need to be fertilized or watered, digging up those deep, thick roots could be worth the cost. Some researchers disagree, noting the relatively small amount of energy the plants can actually produce and the amount of land needed to sustain a 'crop' of kudzu, and investigation is ongoing as to whether it's a financially feasible option.
Preventing Soil Erosion with Kudzu
Though it may seem counterintuitive that an invasive, quickly growing plant could be beneficial to the soil it overtakes, kudzu actually does a great job of preventing soil erosion. In the 1930s as part of his New Deal to combat the Great Depression, President Roosevelt created the Soil Conservation Service. Max Shores writes that many of the men who got work with the Soil Conservation Service planted kudzu to help sustain the soil and yield bigger crops. Farmers were even given incentives to plant it ten years later.
Though some intrepid researchers, scientists and homeopathic medicine enthusiasts have found uses for kudzu, many people in the Southeastern United States still see it as a nuisance. It clutters yards and fields, climbs up houses and invades gardens. "The plant that ate the South" will continue to be a conundrum for years to come.
Kaitlin Ugolik - Kaitlin graduated from Elon University in Elon, N.C. in May 2009 with a BA in Journalism. She has always loved writing, whether it be news ...
