Botanical Name: Pueraria lobata
Origin: China
Approx. Cups/Lb: 8
Common Names: Gegen (Chinese), “mile-a-minute-vine,” “foot-a-day-vine” and “the vine that ate the south.’
Habitat/Range: Vietnam, Japan, China, southeastern U.S.
Description: Kudzu is a creeping, woody wine with alternate trifoliate leaflets that look similar to poison ivy leaves but are much larger. The leaves are attached to stems by a petiole covered with fine hairs. The tuberous root of the plant sends out shoots or runners (stolons), which form new plants and roots
This member of the pea family is considered a highly invasive species and a persistent problem in the southeastern United States. In fact, according to the July 20, 2009 issue of Science Daily, the “plant that ate the south” spreads faster than U.S. Agricultural Research Service scientists can mow or spray it with herbicide, easily covering an average of 150,000 acres each year. 1
Parts Used: Roots
Traditional Uses: Kudzu is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat headaches, migraines, vertigo, tinnitus and other neurological disorders. It is also used to detoxify the liver, particularly after generous consumption of alcohol.
In Japan, the starchy roots are used to produce kuzuko to thicken sauces, desserts and bean pastes, while the powdered herb is used to make a tea called kuzuyu. In the southern U.S., kudzu is used to make jelly, lotion and soap. The plant fiber is used to make paper and cloth and the vines are turned into baskets.
Kudzu is also used as a grazing crop for livestock in the southern U.S., particularly for goats. It is also used to increase the nitrogen content in soil and to help prevent erosion. Because the deep roots improve the transport of water and minerals to the top layer of soil, it is cultivated in regions where the soil has been depleted and/or that have been affected by deforestation.
Chemical Composition: Kudzu contains several plant flavonoids collectively called isoflavones. Of particular interest to researchers are the chemicals daidzin and puerarin, which occur in the highest concentrations in kudzu's roots.