Is Kudzu good for anything?

We just came back from a trip down south, and the spooky kudzu shrouded landscapes made me wonder: surely there is a use for rampant vigorous growers like this? Grow it in easily harvested fields and burn it for energy?

I've heard that it's edible (young shoots & leaves?) & that some people actually cook & eat it, but have no idea if it's really tasty or just that the folks that have it around are desperate - lol!!!

Unfortunately, it's creeping northward, as fairly large patches of it have been discovered along some of our local roadways here in Northern/Piedmont, VA, recently. Scary.

I think it's the roots that are edible, as a starch and the stems contain fibers which might be suitable for rope. Unfortunately, I don't think anyone is considering it as a commercially viable crop and its invasiveness is legendary.

It *is* good as a groundcover for erosion control, which is the reason the government introduced it into this country - I guess no one considered the long-term ramifications of such a vigorous spreader.

I just found this site:
http://www.cptr.ua.edu/kudzu/

lots of information and it does talk about kudzu blossom jelly, which was the first thing I thought of - I read an article several years ago about people who had taken the idea that if you can't get rid of it, USE it. Hope you find something you can use either way.

Actually the whole plant is edible, Note I did not say tasty. It is good for erosion control and browse for deer and goats. In the days when there were lots of small farms and livestock. it was not a problem. Today it has taken over abandoned farm land and will cover up everthing in sight in an abandoned field. It will even outcompete, greenbriars and honeysuckle which thrive in the same enviroment. Fortunately it is a lot easier to get rid of than greenbriars.

I heard that some folks cook the leaves & shoots up like spinach - but again, could be out of sheer desperation at having so much of it around.

Very interesting site. Thank you.

I have seen caps (baseball style) made from kudzu. I think it can't be killed because we can't find the roots. LOL We just learn to live with it and try to keep it from taking over as best we can.

The roots are relatively easy to find. Just pull on a large vine and track it back to the stump.The root is very fibrous and spongy and difficult to dig up, but virtually any herbicide from Weed B- Gone to Round-up will kill it.

Years ago a friend and I made wreaths, like the grapevine ones, out of it.

When I was a kid, we used to bale Kudzu just like we did hay and the cattle and horses LOVED it!

The bad thing about using herbicides on kudzu is that it actually changes appearences when it comes back! I'm not kidding. We had a ton in back of our house (still do, but in a different setting - but that's a different story). Anyway, dh used to go and spray once a month for ages. The he said he had it under control, and we were lucky because a different plant was taking its place. I looked, and it was very different - small delicate leaves, not the stretching long vines - looked well behaved. Then, after several months of us not looking, it reverted back to its demon self!

I used to live in Tallapoosa Ga. on Hwy 120 between Buchanan and Tallapoosa, my Mom planted Kudzo and it went wild.
You can make Jelly from it and its pretty good. Some one around Harrelson County Ga makes chairs with it.
I keep hearing its good to help alchoalic quit drinking.
It can scale a power pole and line in 2 months.
We now have it next to our home here in Raleigh and it will not go away. Think we are going to get some goats, we have put hot wire around the place as far as we can.

Lavina

I attended a seminar on the uses of kutzu a few years back.The woman who gave it is making a living making things from kutzu and giving these seminars around the south.I bought several products from her.One was soap made of Kuzu oil.It was one of the nicest soaps I have ever used.She also showed slides of cabin like dwellings made from Kutzu vines.She also had many things mentioned in the posts above;kutzu vine wreaths,jelly etc.
We have 2 places in the south,luckily we have no kutzu although we are surrounded by it.
It is sold in health food stores and is eaten as a healthy food in Japan.

Does your friend have a website? Would be very interesting reading!

She isn't a friend.This seminar was at a home and gardening show about 4 years ago here at the beach.She has or had a web site but I can't find it.I will try to google it and let you know.

Kathleen - That website was great. I would love to try making baskets out of Kudzu, but I live in the Northwest and we have scotch broom and blackberries instead.