| Kudzu is a common, large, rambunctious deciduous vine of edges and waste places, introduced from China and Japan. Familiar throughout the southern United States, Kudzu grows at a very rapid rate and has no trouble smothering large trees. Orange Co., NC 9/2/09.
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| The alternate leaves have three large, lobed leaflets. Orange Co., NC 9/2/09.
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| Purplish flowers appear in late summer and perfume the air with the scent of grape Kool-Aid. Really! The flowers are a popular nectar source for butterflies and bees. Orange Co., NC 9/2/09.
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| Orange Co., NC 9/2/09.
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| The flowers are soon followed by elongate, flat pods. Fortunately, Kudzu spreads almost exclusively vegetatively here — the seeds usually do not sprout. Orange Co., NC 9/2/09.
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