Kudzu: Invasive plant in the "Bible Belt"

Kudzu (Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi) is a dreaded invasive plant. In the southern United States, in the "deep south" of the Dixieland, they know this all too well. Kudzu devours the landscapes of the "Bible Belt." From Louisiana through Mississippi and Tennessee to Georgia, the prayers of its God-fearing inhabitants are powerless against this vine from the bean family. Kudzu is bursting with vegetative vigor and even pushes its way up telegraph poles, from where it climbs along the wires.

Kudzu also has potential as a medicinal plant.

Kudzu-Jesus

Sometimes, kudzu creates strangely meaningful silhouettes. From a distance, they resemble ghostly crucified figures. According to the Gospel of John, Jesus is said to have declared, "I am the true vine." Along the "bible belt," the kudzu vine becomes Jesus. "Just some kudzu or is this Jesus?" a North Carolina newspaper asks, seriously discussing this as a divine sign. In the Gospel of John, the quote is completed as, "...and you are the vine."

Kudzu as a medicinal plant?

So kudzu does have some uses after all. While the vine doesn't produce sweet grapes, its hairy pods can certainly be used as food. In its Asian homeland, they are processed into flour and noodles. Kudzu is even believed to have medicinal properties. The beans are used to make dietary supplements for smoking and/or alcohol withdrawal. The seeds and the powdered roots are packed with phytoestrogens. Kudzu is said to help with menopausal symptoms, and some even believe the plant can enlarge the breast.