Tropical Kudzu
Pueraria phaseoloides
Family: Fabaceae or Leguminosae
What it is like
Pueraria phaseoloides is a CLIMBER at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil and can tolerate drought.
Height (m): 0
Where it is found
Found in broadleaved forests growing over rocks and into trees in the upper tropical and lower subtropical zones.
E. Asia - Himalayas to China, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Angola, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Belize, Bhutan, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Caribbean, Central Africa, Central America, China, East Africa, Ecuador, Fiji, French Guiana, Ghana, Guyana, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Liberia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Niue, Northeastern India, Pacific, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Reunion, Samoa, SE Asia, Seychelles, Sao Tome & Principe, SE Asia, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South America, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Vietnam, West Africa,
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
The tuberous root can be eaten.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 1
A poultice of the plant is applied to ulcers and boils, especially in children. A decoction is also used internally.
Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.
Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.
Other
Rating: 4
A forage crop and cover crop used in the tropics. Pueraria phaseoloides shows a high protein content in the seeds (12-20%) with high nutrient, protein (3.8%) and sugar (7.3%) content of the whole fresh plant (green part). Grown as a cover crop (often with Centro and Calopo) in oil palm, rubber and coconut. The main advantages as a cover crop are the comparable high nitrogen accumulation and the improvement of the soil structure due to its deep rooting system. It can be used as a grazed forage crop and as green manure in crop rotations. It can prevent soil erosion. In Africa, it is mainly used as cover crops in plantations whereas in tropical America, Southeast Asia it is used as a forage crop in mixtures and as cover crops.
Fibre: Used for making cloth, rope, paper etc.
Fodder: Food given to the animals (including plants cut and carried to them) rather than forage for themselves.
Soil conditioner: Plants grown to improve the structure of the soil. See also Green manures.
Soil reclamation: Plants that can be grown in such circumstances an the spoil tips of mines in order to restore fertility.
Soil stabilization: Plants that can be grown in places such as sand dunes in order to prevent erosion by wind, water or other agents.
Agroforestry Services: Nitrogen: Plants that contribute to nitrogen fixation include the legume family – Fabaceae.
Agroforestry Services: Understory legume: Legume vegetation, especially the trees and shrubs growing between the forest canopy and the forest floor.
Fodder: Bank: Fodder banks are plantings of high-quality fodder species. Their goal is to maintain healthy productive animals. They can be utilized all year, but are designed to bridge the forage scarcity of annual dry seasons. Fodder bank plants are usually trees or shrubs, and often legumes. The relatively deep roots of these woody perennials allow them to reach soil nutrients and moisture not available to grasses and herbaceous plants.
Fodder: Pasture: Enclosed tracts of farmland mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs (non-grass herbaceous plants).
Industrial Crop: Fiber: Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!
Management: Fodder: Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
Management: Hay: Cut to the ground and harvested annually. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.
Agroforestry Services: Nitrogen: Plants that contribute to nitrogen fixation include the legume family – Fabaceae.
Agroforestry Services: Understory legume: Legume vegetation, especially the trees and shrubs growing between the forest canopy and the forest floor.
Fodder: Bank: Fodder banks are plantings of high-quality fodder species. Their goal is to maintain healthy productive animals. They can be utilized all year, but are designed to bridge the forage scarcity of annual dry seasons. Fodder bank plants are usually trees or shrubs, and often legumes. The relatively deep roots of these woody perennials allow them to reach soil nutrients and moisture not available to grasses and herbaceous plants.
Fodder: Pasture: Enclosed tracts of farmland mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs (non-grass herbaceous plants).
Industrial Crop: Fiber: Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!
Management: Fodder: Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
Management: Hay: Cut to the ground and harvested annually. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.
Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
Ground Cover: Ground Cover
Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil
How it is grown
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it is unlikely to be winter hardy in any but the very mildest parts of the country. It is probably possible to grow it as an annual crop, harvesting the root in the autumn. P. phaseoloides prefers to is grow in ruderal situations, such as plantations of cocoa or banana, at low altitudes (often under 600 metres above sea level) in wet evergreen or monsoon forests. P. phaseoloides is capable of growth in a large soil spectrum. Acid soils are not a problem and the pH tolerance is between 4.3 and 8. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Requires a sunny position in a well-drained soil. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby.
Propagating it: Pre-soak the seed for 12 hours in warm water and sow in a warm greenhouse in early spring. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out after the last expected frosts. Cover the young plants with a frame or cloche until they are growing away well.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Climber
Hardiness: 10-12
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
An invasive species when growing in tropical and subtropical habitats due to its fast growth, its wide seed distribution and its ability to fully cover other plants. P. phaseoloides is one of the most invasive species in the United States.
Its other names
Local names
Alan susu, Jermei-kyn-saw, Jermei-soh-gonsoh, Kachang-kachang, Kuzu-ingen, San day, Suloh, Tampong urat, Tua-sian-pah, du da miu.