KUDZU is known as “the vine that ate the South”. Now this invasive species has been shown to be polluting the soil, atmosphere and surface run-off as it strangles native plants across the south-eastern US.
Among the fastest-growing plants on Earth, kudzu (Pueraria montana) was introduced to the US from Japan in 1876 as an ornamental plant. Subsequently planted to control soil erosion, it has become a serious pest across much of the nation (see Map).
New research, revealed at the Ecological Society of America’s meeting in San Jose, California, shows that the vine is also pumping huge amounts…
