Kudzu Infestation in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia in album Philadelphia

In Albums: Philadelphia plants

Jun 16th, 2011, by Alex Zorach

This photo shows an infestation of Kudzu in the Northern Liberties neighborhood in the city of Philadelphia, PA. This photo was taken from a tiny alley called Myrtle street, looking north. This alley is located just south of Poplar street, between N Lawrence St and N 5th street.

Kudzu is an invasive species, brought over from Japan for agricultural purposes as a feed crop; it became a pest in the deep south, where it would grow rapidly, covering whole landscapes, climbing and smothering whole trees. Kudzu is a legume, closely related to beans, and is a nitrogen fixer, and thus it can grow in areas, like this urban neighborhood, where there is poor soil. It tends to grow best in warm climates, and Philadelphia is on the border of its naturalized range in the United States, but urban neighborhoods tend to be warmer year-round, and Kudzu has become established in several spots within the city of Philadelphia, this being one of them. Numerous other yards along this alley are overrun with the vine.