Kudzu is a common, large, rambunctious deciduous vine of edges and waste places, introduced from China and Japan. Familiar throughout the southern United States, Kudzu grows at a very rapid rate and has no trouble smothering large trees.
Orange Co., NC 9/2/09.
The alternate leaves have three large, lobed leaflets.
Orange Co., NC 9/2/09.
Purplish flowers appear in late summer and perfume the air with the scent of grape Kool-Aid. Really! The flowers are a popular nectar source for butterflies and bees.
Orange Co., NC 9/2/09.
Orange Co., NC 9/2/09.
The flowers are soon followed by elongate, flat pods. Fortunately, Kudzu spreads almost exclusively vegetatively here — the seeds usually do not sprout.
Orange Co., NC 9/2/09.
