kudzu
The fast green vine that blankets Southern roadsides, trees, and forgotten barns.
Also called the vine that ate the South, mile-a-minute vine.
Updated September 24, 2026
kudzu pronunciation
/CUD-zoo/
Meaning
An invasive climbing vine that Southerners joke will cover a parked truck if you leave overnight. Along highways it turns abandoned houses and telephone poles into green ghosts. Folks call it the vine that ate the South. Half complaint, half local weather report about summer growth.
How folks use it
- “That old barn disappeared under kudzu years ago.”
- “If you leave the mower sitting, the kudzu will claim it by July.”
Origin and etymology
Brought from East Asia to the U.S. in 1876 at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, later sold as porch shade. In the 1930s the Soil Conservation Service paid Southern farmers to plant it for erosion control. By the 1950s it was a weed. Now it is a Southern landmark and punchline more than a crop.
Frequently asked questions
Does kudzu really grow a foot a day?
In good summer weather it can put on that kind of speed. That is why the jokes write themselves.