Kudzu (; also called Japanese arrowroot or Chinese arrowroot) is a group of climbing, coiling, and trailing perennial vines native to much of East Asia, Southeast Asia, and some Pacific islands, but invasive in many parts of the world, primarily North America. The vine densely climbs over other plants and trees and grows so rapidly that it smothers and kills them by heavily blocking sunlight. The plants are in the genus Pueraria, in the pea family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. The name is derived ...