Kudzu, also called Japanese arrowroot or Chinese arrowroot, is a group of climbing, coiling, and trailing deciduous perennial vines native to much of East Asia, Southeast Asia, and some Pacific islands, but invasive in many parts of the world, primarily North America.
Kudzu smothering trees in Atlanta, Georgia, US
Kudzu seedpods
Flowers of Pueraria montana
Appalachian hen basket, c. 2011
An invasive species is an introduced species to an environment that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native species that become harmful to their native environment after human alterations to its food web. Since the 20th century, invasive species have become a serious economic, social, and environmental threat worldwide.
North American beaver dam in Tierra del Fuego
Kudzu, Atlanta
Canada goldenrod as a roadside weed in Poland
Vinca in a garden