How to Grow Kudzu From Seeds

Kudzu (Pueraria montana) is a semiwoody, climbing vine of the legume family as well as a vigorous grower. It once was renowned as an erosion-control species and was planted throughout the United States in the 1930s through the '50s for this purpose. Today, it is considered a destructive and invasive weed that grows over everything in its path. Kudzu climbs over other plants, trees and inanimate objects, ultimately girdling and suffocating them. Despite its vigorous growth habit – it can spread 1 foot a day and reach as long as 100 feet – kudzu seeds are relatively difficult to propagate due to their hard outer coating.

Things You'll Need

• Sandpaper
• Potting soil
• Pots

Instructions

1. Remove seeds from ripe fruit. Select seeds out of vines that are draping, avoiding those plants that are growing in open patches as they tend not to flower. Seeds are produced in pods that form from purple flowers and generally can be obtained in October and November. One or two seeds may be viable in each cluster of pods.

2. Scrape seed coats with sandpaper thoroughly to remove their hard outer coating. Kudzu seeds can lie dormant for many years before germinating. The coats must be made permeable to water or seeds will not germinate. Scrape seeds moderately, keeping seed coat intact, for best results.

3. Place seeds in pots filled with loose, well-draining potting soil. Water to keep soil moist. If direct-seeding, select deep, loamy soil and avoid sandy or clay soils that are poorly draining.

4. Control the spread of the kudzu vine by cutting back stems. Otherwise, the plant quickly can overtake buildings, trees and basically anything that gets in its way. For this reason, avoid providing fertilizer to this invasive plant and do not plant near neighbor's yards as the vine will invade their area.

Tips & Warnings

• In nature, the seeds germinate best after exposure to warm temperatures during the natural growing season.

• The plant is somewhat frost-sensitive when it is young, but can tolerant frost better once it is older.

• Kudzu kills plants and trees by wrapping around them and blocking out sunlight, so prune the vines to prevent this problem.

References

• University of Florida IFAS Extension: Pueraria Montana
• Alabama Cooperative Extension System; Kudzu in Alabama; John W. Everest et al.; August 1999
• Cedarville University; Eradication of Kudzu (Pueraria lobata) in Ohio with Good Science and Interagency Cooperation; John E. Silvius et al.; 2009
• University of Delaware; Proposed Host Specificity Plant List for Testing Potential Biological Control Agents of Kudzu; Jennifer Birdsall; June 2004