None of the writeups above have mentioned the main reason kudzu is so deadly to other plants. The leaves that grow on the kudzu vine are thick and can grow as large as 8 inches across (and they're kind of fuzzy, too, like a peach skin). These leaves grow in a very dense arrangement, with nearly no gap between them. When you couple this very large leaf size with kudzu's ability to grow extremely fast and cover virtually anything in its path, sunlight no longer reaches any part of the ground or any plants underneath it. This kills off everything else, leaving the kudzu free to take all the water and nutrients from the soil for itself. Kudzu can even kill large trees because of its ability to climb and cover the entire surface area of the tree. not good