Why was kudzu used?

Answer 1

Kudzu was thought to be a good bankholder, against soil erosion. For it's a legume, which is a nitrogen-fixingplant. Nitrogen is one of the most common elements above and below ground. But it isn't always in a form in which it can be used. Such is the case with plants, and the below ground presence of nitrogen. Underground, nitrogen must be in soluble form in order to be taken up by plants, and used in photosynthesis. Nitrogen fixing bacteria, nematodes and plant roots turn nitrogen into that usable, soluble form. And so nitrogen-fixing kudzu was thought to fit the bill. Additionally, kudzu has large leaves, and a sweet smelling bloom. And so it was thought that both environmental and aesthetic purposes would be served. Hardly! For kudzu grows so fast, and so densely, that a dead zone is left in its wake. Indeed, the plant bundles, cloaks, and shrouds everything in its path so densely that air and light can't get through. Herbaceous and woody plants die from the lack of light, and therefore the inability to conduct necessary photosynthesis for all plant acitivities. And other wildlife forms can't break through that barrier. For example, bluebirds prefer to nest in oak trees. They can't do so in a landscape that's successfully dominated by kudzu.