I can see kudzu Pueraria montana

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Also called:

• Pueraria lobata,
• "the plant that ate the South",
• "the invasive vine that ate the South", and
• "the scourge of the South".

The common name "kudzu" may refer to:

• this species,
• sister-species Pueraria edulis,
• sister-species Pueraria phaseoloides, and
• hybrids between any of these three.

All these are part of genus Pueraria in 🥜︎ legume / bean / pea  family Fabaceae in order Fabales.

Native to 🇨🇳 China, 🇰🇵 🇰🇷 Korea, and 🇯🇵 Japan.   🗺 Map by county (🇺🇸 USA-48) (color key).   Invasive > learn+quiz Invasive > 🌐︎ global Invasive > 🇨🇦 🇺🇸 Canada+USA Invasive > report it! Invasive > 🇺🇸 USA Invasive > 🇺🇸 USA (variety lobata) Invasive > Michigan

Uses by native peoples
(Ethnobotany database)   On No-Planting List by Seneca Nation of Indians SNI.  (page 64)

Like most legumes, this plant cooperates with a bacterium that fixes atmospheric nitrogen into a form usable by plants and animals.

That allows these plants to:

• outcompete non-nitrogen-fixing plants in poorer soils, and/or
• have seeds and foliage with more protein.

This makes their seeds and foliage more nutritious to plant-eaters.  And growing these plants may improve the quality of worn-out farmland and disturbed soils.

  --I Can See Nature! web kudzu.html v1.0.8.8 2024-03-06, copyright © 2016–2024 by I Can See Nature, LLC.