Kudzu

Kudzu (Southern Regional Extension Forestry Forest Health)
This vine was introduced from Japan to the United States in 1876 as an ornamental plant and was later promoted as a natural way to mitigate soil erosion. In fact, farmers in the Southern U.S. were paid to plant kudzu on over 1 million acres.

Invasive Species Leaflet: Kudzu (North Carolina Forest Service)
Pueraria montana grows well in a variety of habitats and soil types, but it grows best where winters are mild, summer temperatures are above 80 degrees Fahrenheit and annual rainfall is greater than 40 inches. The large roots of this plant allow it to survive summer drought conditions. Populations of P. montana are generally established along roadsides, old fields, forest edges and other sunny disturbed areas throughout North Carolina.

Invasives in Your Woodlands: Kudzu (University of Maryland Extension)
Kudzu (Puerania montana var. lobata) was introduced to the United States from Asia during the 1876 World’s Fair Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. During the Great Depression, it was touted as a way to reduce farmland erosion, as grazing fodder and as a means to stabilize steep slopes along railroad and highway rights-of-way. The newly-created Soil Conservation Service offered bounties to farmers willing to plant the vine. While it failed as a cash crop, it excelled at spreading where it was not subject to grazing.

Fast and Furious Killer: Kudzu (Blue Ridge Prism)
Total eradication takes several years of consistent monitoring and repeated treatments. Cooperation among neighbors is essential where this beastly vine crosses property lines, because it grows rampantly and respects no borders. Which control methods you choose depends partly upon the age of the infestation.