Kudzu
Kudzu [Pueraria montana (Lour.) Merr.], often called “the vine that ate the South,” is a perennial, high-climbing vine native to eastern India, China, and Japan. It was introduced into the United States in 1876 at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia and was recognized as highly nutritious livestock forage in 1905. By 1946, an estimated 300,000 acres were planted. In addition to its use as forage, kudzu was also widely planted for soil stabilization in the South. It has been used some as an ornamental and for certain edible and medicinal uses.
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