Weed guide

Kudzu

Pueraria montana var. lobata · Pea family (Fabaceae)

Also called kudzu vine (Australia and New Zealand), Japanese arrowroot (widely).

Illustration

Fences, trees and bush edgesPerennial vineSpreads by rooting runners and moved tubers

A hairy, three-leaved vine that can grow up to 30 cm a day and blanket trees, fences and buildings. It's regulated in many places, so check your local rules, and in parts of New Zealand report it rather than tackling it.

How to spot it

Leaves of three large leaflets, each 7–20 cm, sometimes lobed and paler underneath.
Young stems covered in long golden-brown hairs.
Upright clusters of purple to pink pea flowers with a yellow spot, smelling of grape.
Flat, hairy brown pods 4–13 cm long.
Huge underground tubers, and runners that root as they spread across the ground.

Easily confused with

Poison ivy

Smaller glossy leaflets that are hairless on top, and white berries.

Blue morning glory

Single leaves, not three leaflets, and trumpet flowers.

Dolichos and lablab beans

Smaller, unlobed leaflets and no yellow spot on the flower.

Where it's a problem

USA: Covers millions of acres of the South East and is a listed noxious weed in several states.
Australia: A restricted invasive plant in Queensland and a regional priority weed in parts of NSW. Whether it is native to far-northern Australia is debated.
New Zealand: An eradication target in Bay of Plenty, where people are asked not to control it themselves, and under sustained control in Auckland.
Canada: A regulated pest; the one known population is being eradicated.
Europe and Southern Africa: On the EU list of invasive species, and a listed invasive to be eradicated in South Africa.

What to do

Check your local rules first; in Bay of Plenty, report it rather than tackling it yourself.
Follow each vine back to its root crown and cut just below it, removing the crown.
Cut or mow the regrowth every month for several seasons.
Expect old plants to take three to five years to clear, with follow-up several times a year.
Don't move soil that may contain its tubers.

If you use a herbicide, choose one labelled for kudzu and follow the label and local rules. Control usually takes several years of treatment.

Follow your local council's guidance for disposing of weeds. Councils usually advise against putting weeds like this in the green waste / vegetation bin or the compost.

Take care: Its weight and growth can damage buildings and power lines.

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Sources

Facts checked Sunday 27 September 2026. General guidance only: follow your local council, agency and product label.