Pueratia lobata / GE GEN / Kudzu

Botanical Name – Pueratia lobata

Chinese Name – GE GEN

English Name – Kudzu

Kudzu (also called Japanese arrowroot) is a group of plants in the genus Pueraria, in the pea family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae.

They are climbing, coiling, and trailing perennial vines native to much of eastern Asia, Southeast Asia, and some Pacific islands.

Where these plants are naturalised, they can be invasive and are considered noxious weeds. The plant climbs over trees or shrubs and grows so rapidly that it kills them by heavy shading. Kudzu has been used as a form of erosion control as well as to enhance the soil. As a legume, it increases the nitrogen in the soil.