Drive almost any backroad in Pickens County, and you will eventually see it.
A wall of green climbing over trees. Vines draped across fence lines. Entire hillsides that appear to have been wrapped in a giant green blanket.
At first glance, kudzu can look beautiful. During the summer months, the bright green leaves create a lush landscape that seems almost tropical. Look closer, however, and you begin to realize that the trees, shrubs, and structures beneath the vines are slowly disappearing.
This is the story of kudzu, the plant often called “the vine that ate the South.”
A Plant with Good Intentions
Kudzu is native to eastern Asia and was introduced to the United States in the late 1800s. It first appeared at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, where it was admired as an ornamental vine.
By the early twentieth century, farmers and government agencies saw kudzu as a solution to a growing problem. Much of the South had suffered from soil erosion caused by intensive farming practices. Because kudzu grows rapidly and develops an extensive root system, it seemed like the perfect plant to stabilize hillsides and worn-out farmland.
During the 1930s and 1940s, landowners were actually encouraged and sometimes paid to plant kudzu. Millions of seedlings were distributed throughout the Southeast, including parts of South Carolina.
At the time, few people imagined what would happen next.
When the Vine Took Control
Kudzu thrived in the warm, humid climate of the Southeast.
Unlike many native plants, it grows aggressively, climbing over trees, shrubs, utility poles, abandoned buildings, and almost anything else in its path. In favorable conditions, the vine can grow several inches in a single day during the peak of summer.
As the vines spread, they form dense layers of leaves that block sunlight from reaching the plants beneath them. Trees eventually weaken and die as they become buried under the weight of the vegetation.
What begins as a few vines can quickly become an entire hillside covered in green.
The scenes captured in these photographs are common throughout the Upstate. What appears to be a series of strange green mounds is often a collection of trees and brush completely hidden beneath layers of kudzu.
1. Kudzu Was Once a Government-Recommended Plant
It may be hard to believe today, but kudzu was once promoted as a solution to soil erosion. During the 1930s and 1940s, farmers across the South were encouraged—and sometimes paid—to plant it on their land.
2. It Can Grow Up to a Foot Per Day
Under ideal summer conditions, kudzu can grow nearly one foot in a single day. Its rapid growth is one reason it can quickly overwhelm trees, shrubs, fences, and abandoned structures.
3. Kudzu Is Not Native to the United States
The vine originated in eastern Asia and was introduced to America in 1876. What began as an ornamental plant eventually spread across millions of acres throughout the Southeast.
4. Entire Buildings Can Disappear Beneath It
Kudzu does not just cover the ground. It climbs over trees, utility poles, barns, vehicles, and even houses. In some places, only the shape of a structure remains visible beneath the thick blanket of vines.
5. You Can Actually Eat It
Despite its reputation as an invasive species, parts of the plant are edible. Kudzu flowers can be used to make jelly, the leaves can be fed to livestock, and the roots have been used in traditional cooking and medicine for centuries.
Bonus Fact:
Many large patches of kudzu in Pickens County mark places that were once open farmland. In a strange way, the vine often serves as a living reminder of the region’s agricultural past.
Why Kudzu Is Common in Pickens County
Pickens County provides ideal conditions for kudzu growth.
The region’s warm summers, abundant rainfall, and long growing season allow the vine to flourish. Kudzu is especially common around old farm fields, abandoned homesites, roadways, and utility corridors where sunlight is plentiful.
Many of the places where kudzu grows today were once active farmland.
As agriculture declined and fields were abandoned, forests gradually returned. Kudzu often arrived during this transition, spreading across open ground and climbing up young trees, reclaiming the landscape.
In some locations, old fence rows, orchards, and forgotten homesteads have almost vanished beneath the vines.
A Living Reminder of the Past
Ironically, kudzu can sometimes reveal clues about local history.
Large patches often mark places where farms once operated or where open fields existed decades ago. A dense wall of vines along a backroad may hide the remains of an old barn, a forgotten foundation, or a fence line built generations ago.
For those interested in local history, these overgrown areas often serve as reminders of how much the landscape has changed.
The forests we see today are not always ancient wilderness. Many grew back on land that was once cleared, cultivated, and occupied by families whose stories have largely been forgotten.
Can Kudzu Be Stopped?
Controlling kudzu is possible, but it is not easy.
The vine’s massive root system allows it to survive repeated cutting and mowing. Successful control often requires years of persistence using a combination of mechanical removal and carefully applied herbicides.
Even then, the battle is rarely quick.
For this reason, many large infestations remain visible throughout the South, continuing to shape the appearance of roadsides, fields, and forests.
The Legacy of Kudzu
Few plants tell a story as uniquely Southern as kudzu.
What began as a promising solution to soil erosion became one of the most recognizable invasive species in the United States. Today, the vine serves as both a symbol of the South and a reminder that even well-intentioned decisions can have unexpected consequences.
The next time you pass a hillside that appears to be covered by a giant green blanket, take a closer look.
Beneath those vines may be an entire forest struggling to survive, and perhaps a small piece of Pickens County history hidden underneath.
