Kari Traylor at JSTOR Daily:
Across the American South, few plants are as recognizable as kudzu. Its vines blanket trees and power lines, turning roadside clearings into walls of green. Over time, this landscape has given rise to the story of a “vine that ate the South,” with kudzu framed as a menacing invader that swallows everything in its path. But kudzu’s presence in the South is more complicated than this myth suggests. Brought to the region to address economic and environmental woes shaped by the ghost of plantation slavery, kudzu was later abandoned as shifting needs rendered the plant unnecessary. Though its purported usefulness was short-lived, kudzu has persisted in both the landscape and the collective memory of the South. Kudzu (Pueraria montana) is a perennial climbing vine native to East Asia, particularly China and Japan. It has broad leaves, organized in groups of three, and large, tuberous roots, which allow the plant to survive and regenerate even after its aboveground growth is removed. Under favorable conditions with plenty of rainfall and mild winters, Pueraria montana can grow as much as sixty feet in a season, with some reports alleging that its vines may extend by roughly twelve inches in a single day during periods of rapid growth.
more here.
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