kudzu
Vine eating Dixie
Kudzu is a fast-growing vine native to East Asia, introduced to the American South for erosion control and now notorious for smothering everything in its path—trees, buildings, abandoned cars.
It can grow a foot per day in summer.
The plant has become a symbol of invasive species run amok: Kudzu has swallowed whole forests in Georgia.
Soft bed covering
- shroudBurial cloth or covering
- cloakSleeveless outer wrap
- mantleCovering or wrap
- carpetThick floor textile
swathe · engulf · obscure · drape · veil · envelop · smother · overgrow
Pest takeover situation
- encroachmentGradual intrusion on territory
- non-nativeNot indigenous here
- introducedMade formally acquainted
- alienNon-native being
noxious · eradication · overrun · colonization · displacement · monoculture · disruption · threat
Pod-producing plant family
- perennialRecurring each year
- nitrogen-fixingConverting N₂ to ammonia
- forageSeek food actively
- broadleafWide-leafed plant type
herbaceous · trifoliate · taproot · arrowroot · Asian · Japanese · Southern United States
Coiling plant appendage
- twiningWrapping around spirally
- climbingAscending by physical effort
- trellisGarden climbing structure
- arborGarden trellis structure
pergola · creeper · rambler · espalier · runner · rootstock · node · aerial root
Rapid increase in quantity
- uncheckedNot controlled or limited
- rampantFlourishing beyond control
- explosiveProne to sudden detonation
- rapidMoving with haste
uncontrolled · relentless · voracious · vigorous · overwhelming · engulfing · swallowing · consuming
Seek food actively
- fodderCoarse livestock nourishment
- livestock feedFood for farm animals
- erosion controlPreventing soil loss
- fiberPlant-based digestive aid
basket weaving · paper · starch · herbal medicine · tea · jelly · blossom · biofuel
blanket
Soft bed covering
carpet · swathe · engulf · obscure · drape · veil · envelop · smother · overgrow · swallow
infestation
Pest takeover situation
- encroachmentGradual intrusion on territory
- non-nativeNot indigenous here
- introducedMade formally acquainted
alien · noxious · eradication · overrun · colonization · displacement · monoculture · disruption · threat · aggressive
legume
Pod-producing plant family
- perennialRecurring each year
- nitrogen-fixingConverting N₂ to ammonia
- forageSeek food actively
broadleaf · herbaceous · trifoliate · taproot · arrowroot · Asian · Japanese · Southern United States
tendril
Coiling plant appendage
arbor · pergola · creeper · rambler · espalier · runner · rootstock · node · aerial root · ground cover
proliferation
Rapid increase in quantity
- uncheckedNot controlled or limited
- rampantFlourishing beyond control
- explosiveProne to sudden detonation
rapid · uncontrolled · relentless · voracious · vigorous · overwhelming · engulfing · swallowing · consuming · blanketing
forage
Seek food actively
- fodderCoarse livestock nourishment
- livestock feedFood for farm animals
- erosion controlPreventing soil loss
fiber · basket weaving · paper · starch · herbal medicine · tea · jelly · blossom · biofuel · compost
- climbing vinessweet pea, wisteria, morning glory, honeysuckle, grape
- Humid Southhigh humidity, hot summers, mild winters, muggy weather, sticky heat
- pestsants, ant, bugs, cockroach, cockroaches
- rural SouthBaptist church, dirt roads, gravel roads, backroads, country roads
- SouthernSouthern belles, sweet tea, front porch, grits, y'all
- Southern culturesweet tea, grits, fried chicken, front porch, barbecue
kudzunative plant
Organism indigenous to region
endemic species · indigenous species · wildflower · native flora · keystone species
kudzubonsai
Cultivated miniature potted tree
desert plant · lichen · moss · alpine plant · succulent
kudzukeystone species
Outsized ecological impact organism
host plant · milkweed · oak tree · native habitat · native prairie