Episode 25: Swampy Secrets & City-Eating Vines - Kudzu
Hello and welcome back to another week of Rooted! This week we are taking a closer look at a vine known for devouring the American South, your fast growing friend and mine- Kudzu
Kudzu vine or Pueraria montana is a perennial vine native to temperate regions of east and southeast Asia. As a member of the legume or Fabaceae family, this guy has some pretty famous relatives, including Gorse (from episode 18) and crowd favorites like beans, peas, lentils, and even clover!
Kudzu isn’t too picky when it comes to soil or environment, but if feels most at home in climates that are humid, with plenty of rich soil…which is why it feels right at home in laces like georgia, louisiana, north and south carolina, etc.
If you live in temperate areas of the United states, or any other humid environment with plenty of wild open spaces, you’ve likely seen Kudzu.
It’s known for its large sometimes dinner-plate sized leaves, and vibrant purple to wine colored blooms! Since it’s a member of the legume family, its flowers look just like the rest of its famous family members, but these specific flowers are known for smelling like grapes. This fast growing vine is often seen towering telephone poles, scaling the sides of buildings, and even billowing out of the barns and silos it can grow to completely consume.
Now you might be wondering- how the heck does a plant completely cover a building? Well, the answer is that kudzu grows WILDLY fast- topping out at an average of about a FOOT A DAY- or a little over 30 CM for my friends outside the us.
With such a fast rate of growth, it should come as no surprise that a common folktale warns that those who leave their windows open at night risk waking up to find their whole house literally engulfed in Kudzu.
With legends like this, it’s easy to imagine this plant as a super villain ...but it’s Not all bad. Kudzu was actually introduced to the United States With good intentions. It first made its appearance as part of a Japanese garden exhibit at the 1876 Display at the World’s Fair in Philadelphia.
After turning so many heads at the fair, many a master gardener decided they would LOVE to try their hand at growing the unique and lush vine in their yard for a little shade, and for those pretty little grape-y flowers.. Little did they know, this would prove to be a MASSIVE problem later… but we’ll get to that in a bit.
Kudzu was also used in folk medicine to treat anything from indigestion to cardiovascular diseases. Research into kudzu has shown that it contains isoflavones, which can help with inflammation and act as antioxidants to help slow aging in the body, though more research is needed to know the specifics here!
In china one of the 50 fundamental herbs for healing, which is why it is traditionally used in tinctures, teas, powders, and even soups! It was also often used to create baskets, materialism and paper due to its fibrous and fast growing vines.
After its smashing success in the garden, kudzu was introduced to the American south to try and help prevent soil erosion and wash out.
At first, no one was super into the idea of growing the stuff…it took a little to get established, and didn’t offer the commercial value of some better known crops….that was until the 1930’s when america was devastated by the dust bowl- a period of intense drought that caused terrible and extremely damaging dust storms across much of the south.
With the lack of roots to hold the now very light soil down, the soil erosion service (now the Natural Resource Conservation Service) offered farmers a bit of a reward- up to $8 an acre to grow the stuff.. They did this because Kudzu was one of the only plants able to grow as quickly as was needed in such harsh conditions, and as a bonus, it would help to rebuild the soil AND could be used as a tasty forage for livestock as the ecosystem started to recover.
The problem? This all Worked a little TOO well, with the over 1 million acres planted - quickly taking over the landscape in areas where not carefully managed…much like invasive honeysuckle in the midwest, kudzu climbs and chokes out pretty much any plant it can get it’s vines around, wreaking absolute havoc on native plants and ecosystems as it crowds out many plants vital to the forest’s health.
While this is absolutely a problem with some ...creative solutions…like attempting to dehydrate and burn it, which often unfortunately doesn't work…this stuff can seem basically indestructible, but luckily some farmers have found a pretty nifty solution- livestock!
Turns out, cows and goats REALLY love this stuff, and they aren't the only ones…
Bees also take note of the flowers…and I mean, to be fair, they ARE pretty cute, and are like perfectly shaped for them to fit in their tiny little butts AND perch for a bit of a snooze as needed. While they aren’t always a top choice, Kudzu blooms are usually pretty readily available to bees and are sometimes the most viable option in years impacted by drought.
One less common, and certainly unexpected consequence of bees having to primarily pollinate Kudzu? PURPLE HONEY.. I know. You guys probably thought I was done telling you about weird things that can happen with honey, but alas, here we are again! And honestly, it’s one of my favorite nerdy things to learn about.
This Purple honey is thought to be caused when bees collect a bulk of their pollen from kudzu, but it’s all still a little mysterious…we mostly believe this because the honey is often said to have a light grape flavor, and tend to come from regions of the southern United States where kudzu is widely distributed and has crowded out many other native plants.
On top of purple honey and herbal medicine, today Kudzu is still used in many different ways across food, art, and agriculture!
The biggest way that Kudzu is commonly used? As a thickening agent! In many traditional japanese recipes, Kuz starch (Which comes from the Root of the plant) can be used to thicken numerous sauces or deserts- much like Agar agar or tapioca! It’s not as commonly used here in the United States, so while you might not be able to find it at your average convenience store or supermarket, often Kudzu starch can be found at your local asian or international market!
On top of being a handy thickening agent, Kudzu blooms are often made into a light, summer jelly! With their grape flavor and soft purple color, it’s no surprise that this is a popular choice for a light and refreshing Jelly.
If jelly isn't really your jam, you can also use kudzu blooms and leaves as a natural pigment! They are a great choice because they are so widely available and highly pigmented- creating beautiful shades of deep, warm greens and cool, muted purples.
On top of art and food, Kudzu is still commonly used as an animal feed- especially in areas where it has overgrown, and as a viable option for improving the soil and managing erosion in areas where it can be carefully monitored and managed appropriately.
As a complete aside, I also think that Kudzu is the most likely plant that swamp thing is made of! I mostly think this because of his ability to regenerate so quickly, but also because of the fact that Kudzu is commonly found in Louisiana and South Carolina. In addition to that, the only other vining plant in the swamp that grows quickly enough to b Swamp thing is Virginia Creeper, and while that plant is native to north america, it isn't safe to eat, which would cause…complications…in the way swamp thing is able to…connect with his intimate partners, if you will. If you want to hear more of my ramblings on this topic and all things Swamp Thing, be sure to check out the special episode of Something Rather than Nothing with fellow swampie fans Ken Volante, Craig Randal, and Ken Nicholson coming soon!
That’s all I have for this week, thank you so much for listening! Next week I am going to take a quick break, but I;ll be back at it the week after with even more plant facts and fictions! See you then!
