Kudzu is native to China and Japan and was introduced as part of a Japanese garden exhibit during the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. During the dust bowl era of the 1930s, it was marketed for combating soil erosion. Now, kudzu can be found in many southeastern U.S. states covering more than 7 million acres.

Regulation of Kudzu

Kudzu is listed as an invasive plant in Illinois through the Illinois Exotic Weed Act and as a noxious weed through the Illinois Noxious Weed Law.

• Mechanical control: Very heavy grazing pressure may eradicate smaller infestations if repeated for three to four years. Cutting plants close to the ground during hot, dry summer months for several years may exhaust root reserves. Mechanical treatments lose effectiveness on old, well-established infestations.
• Fire: Prescribed fire may be used as an initial treatment to clear old growth to allow contact with herbicides on new growth, and fire may expose hazards that are masked by the infestation.
• Chemical control: Always read and follow herbicide labels before initiating treatment.
  • Foliar: Apply 0.5% clopyralid in August or September when plants are flowering. Clopyralid is selective primarily to plants in the bean (Fabaceae) or aster (Asteraceae) families and is a good choice when kudzu is climbing into desirable tree species from other plant families. Aminopyralid at 0.5% v/v in water is also effective though less selective. Triclopyr or glyphosate are somewhat effective at 4% v/v in water with repeated treatments.

For more information, explore Management of Invasive Plants and Pests of Illinois