HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania residents are encouraged to call the
Department of Agriculture to report findings of kudzu, an invasive,
climbing vine that has become a problem in some regions of the
state.
The toll-free number is 1-877-464-9333.
“Kudzu grows over and around other plants, and
can be devastating to native plant species,” said Agriculture
Secretary Dennis Wolff. “This toll-free service makes it easier for
Pennsylvanians to report suspected kudzu findings, which will help
us better treat affected areas through early detection, rapid
response and restoration.”
Introduced from Asia, kudzu is a climbing vine
identified by alternating leaves, purple flowers and fuzzy brown
seed pods which appear in the fall. Kudzu was added to the state’s
noxious weed list in 1989.
The Department of Agriculture recently visited
a kudzu site in Lebanon County to outline its new invasive species
management plan for treating the invasive vine. Since then,
consumers from Lebanon and Lancaster counties have called the
hotline to report possible kudzu findings.
In 2006, the Pennsylvania Department of
Agriculture received $50,000 to fund the state’s pilot kudzu
eradication program and, by the end of last year, 23 locations had
enrolled. The goal of the eradication program is to treat sites for
three consecutive years, helping property owners in controlling the
weed while monitoring the weed’s spread and decline throughout the
state.
Findings of kudzu should be reported to the department’s toll-free
hotline, 1-877-464-9333. For more information on kudzu and other
noxious weeds, visit
www.agriculture.state.pa.us and click on “Animal and Plant
Health.”