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cowboywaltz

Kudzu

cowboywaltz
14 years ago

I know (sigh) that I'll just get responses ranting and raving about how awful kudzu is, but I'm going to give it a shot.... I had a cluster of kudzu vines that I used to cover a trellis in my garden every year.... every fall I dug them up to overwinter in a barrel in the garage, and every spring I planted two or three of the heartiest to cover the trellis again. Did that for years, and they NEVER spread (I never let them). Then, a few years ago, something went wrong.... it got too cold for too long in the garage or something, but I had no viable starts the next spring. If anyone knows (or is!) a source for kudzu seeds, I'd appreciate knowing about it (although it IS hard to grow from seed!). Or, if someone would be interested in swapping a few "starts" I'd love to talk about it!

Comments (3)

  • tlacuache
    14 years ago

    cowboywaltz, I will sheepishly admit to being a fellow closet kudzu fan. Before everyone jumps all over me, let me acknowledge that, yes, kudzu is definitely an invasive, noxious weed, and a big problem in a lot of areas. But it is also a plant that has some functional, economic, and aesthetic value, and I don't think it's fair to altogether discard those "pros" just because of its considerable "cons." For one thing, the degree of kudzu's invasiveness varies considerably across the South depending on local climate and conditions, ranging from being horribly out-of-control in some places to being merely a rambunctious nuisance in others. And also, very importantly, it doesn't spread by seed very readily in most places, so its potential for popping up far away from a single parent plant is generally pretty low. That means that IF someone plants it in one place, and is very consistent and conscientious about managing it to control its spread, it can be responsibly grown for its virtuous attributes, without worrying too much about it threatening local ecosystems. The biggest problems with kudzu in the South have come from its use for bank cover and erosion control in big, open areas like highway embankments. In those places, it was impossible or impractical to manage it closely enough to prevent it from escaping vegetatively, and so its phenomenal growth rate allowed it to spread far and wide, and become a major environmental problem. But if you're careful, I'm sure you can continue to grow it in your yard without hurting anyone else (although I'm not exactly clear on why you'd want to, when there are so many other outstanding vines for quick summer cover on a trellis). Personally, I wouldn't consider growing even a small amount of kudzu anywhere in the foothills or low-elevation mountainous areas of the Southern Appalachians, since it's such a problem in those places. Elsewhere maybe, although on principle it still might be better not to. Kudzu doesn't produce a lot of viable seeds, and the sale and transport of them may be technically illegal in a lot of places anyway, so getting your hands on them may be hard. I'm sure you can cajole someone somewhere into selling or swapping you pieces of dormant kudzu crowns, although it would seem a whole lot simpler to just dig a few up from the side of the road somewhere. If you'd like an "official" source for it, one place is Plant Delights, which is now offering a variegated kudzu cultivar through mail order. I've seen their original plant there, and it's fairly attractive, but I wouldn't call it beautiful. But it might be worth considering. I hope (or at least, I suppose I hope) this helps!

    Here is a link that might be useful: 'Sherman's Revenge' variegated kudzu from Plant Delights

  • tlacuache
    14 years ago

    Oops. I just noticed that Plant Delights' description of the variegated kudzu on their website specifically states that they won't ship it outside of North Carolina. Actually, that's probably just as well. Of course, you could go to PDN and pick it up in-person, but if you're coming from Illinois, clearly that may not be practical. So I'm not sure what to tell you. Sorry for the false lead.

  • sheaviance1
    14 years ago

    Drive anywhere on the interstate in Tennessee and dig until your heart is content, it's everywhere. I think kudzu is beautiful when it is responsibly grown. There is a house just down the road that is on the verge of being taken over. He literally has about 20 feet of back yard left. If it's not illegal to mail it to Il, I'd be glad to dig some up for you this spring.

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