Kudzu in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Yes, kudzu (Pueraria montana) is a pervasive invasive vine throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains. Introduced from Japan in the 1870s as ornamental and later promoted for erosion control, it smothers native vegetation, topples trees, and damages structures. Its rapid growth—up to a foot per day in summer—makes eradication extremely difficult. Management relies on persistent herbicide treatment, grazing, and mechanical removal.