KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — There’s a green curtain draped across the American South, an unstoppable wave of leaves and tendrils that has swallowed barns, silos, telephone poles and even entire hillsides.

What started as an ambitious plan to save the land became one of the most enduring ecological dramas in U.S. history. Kudzu, once praised as a miracle plant, now evokes sighs and groans from farmers, scientists, and anyone who’s tried to fight its relentless grip. How did a single vine, imported with the best intentions, transform into the notorious “Vine that ate the South”?

Because it was so widely planted and grew so rapidly, many states have been managing kudzu for 70 years or more. New areas of the Midwest and northeastern U.S. now manage for it.

Native to Japan, kudzu was first introduced into the U.S. at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. It was marketed as an ornamental plant or ground cover to stabilize soil. That Japanese exhibitor wowed visitors with this plant’s beauty and cover ability. The plant caught more attention at a New Orleans Expo in the early 1900s.

The U.S. Soil Conservation Service promoted kudzu widely throughout the 1930s and 1950s as an erosion control measure, even paying farmers to plant it. Today, the most intense kudzu infestations center around Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia. However, it can be found in 31 states, including Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.

“Kudzu is semi-woody and the plant is hardy, very hardy,” said Clemson University Entomologist David Coyle. “This plant grows over dead vines and creates its own thick cover that’s hard to walk through. It can easily cover railways and climb up trees. And though it seems to take over, there are ways to control or even eradicate the plant.”

The invasive vine can appear picturesque, its greenery adding vibrancy to the landscape. The lush vegetation has gone viral on social media for making modern buildings appear to be amid a jungle. South Knoxville, Tenn., “Jungle Arby’s” is a prime example. The Arby’s restaurant at 2819 Chapman Highway in Knoxville, Tenn., is known by locals as “Jungle Arby’s” thanks to the massive amount of Kudzu growing around the business.

Luckily, Kudzu rarely penetrates the forest or wilder areas, sticking to “edges” of human civilization. There are however newer air quality concerns with kudzu, as several studies have found that kudzu produces nitric oxide in the soil and can raise ozone levels in the immediate area around it. With annual temperatures rising due to climate change, vines are particularly well-suited to heat adaptation, and growth of almost every type of invasive vine is expected to flourish.

Kudzu primarily spreads through vegetive runners, where nodes that touch the ground can put down roots and spread. As many farmers can attest, kudzu has posed concerns for old field sites. Kudzu often prevents native plants and trees from establishing and creates a monoculture that decreases species biodiversity.

Kudzu grows very rapidly, according to Invasive.org, growing up to 60 feet per season at a rate of about one foot per day.

“The plant is not invincible, though,” Coyle said. “If it invades your yard or pasture you can mow to keep the vines in check. Mowing kudzu isn’t an instant solution, but because you’ll mow away the leaves of the vines, the plant won’t be able to photosynthesize and its roots will weaken. More expansive patches can be cut down and sprayed with herbicides during the growing season. If you have farm animals let them graze on it. Goats love it. Some want to burn the plant, but it isn’t an effective way to kill it.”

Coyle said problematic kudzu can be killed using herbicides like Roundup and Rodeo.

Besides reducing native biodiversity, kudzu hosts the kudzu bug and soybean rust fungus, both of which can wreak havoc on legume crops like lima beans and soybeans.

There are a few up sides to the plant. Kudzu has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for its root, which is a healthy food and has been utilized in tinctures, tonics and tea preparations for various ailments. The leaves of kudzu are used as fodder and forage for livestock.

Kudzu is rich in bioactive ingredients, especially isoflavones, which have been found to have medicinal benefits. And, its high starch and cellulose content make it a promising feedstock for biofuel production and paper preparation.