Kudzu Culture aims to put the invasive plant to use by making it into a variety of products, thereby helping to keep kudzu in check within our native ecosystems. The vigorous vine has been present in the Southeast for over a century and in that time has woven itself deep into the culture and environment. Most people are aware that it’s a problematic, invasive species, and that it has some agricultural uses. But many are surprised to learn that kudzu had a long history as a highly important plant in the places it grew before it landed on U.S. soil in 1886. 

“The whole plant — flower, leaf, vine and root — is useful in a variety of ways, and each use is significant and relevant to our culture and economy here in the South in the 21st century,” said Justin Holt, one of three co-founders of Kudzu Culture. “From medicine for treatment of addiction and diabetes, to high-protein leaves as a perennial vegetable, to beautiful and durable textile fiber, to a highly-productive root crop for medicinal and culinary starch called ‘kuzu’, kudzu has played an important role in east Asia for millennia and still has so much to offer.” 

Kudzu Culture is a distributed ownership organization and works to bring as many farmers, harvesters and producers as possible into the fold, said co-founder Zev Friedman. 

The newly launched online store currently offers tinctured cold extract kudzu root, dehydrated kudzu root, fine kudzu vine fiber and fresh kudzu root — which is only available seasonally — for sale. Purchase products at the organization’s Etsy shop, www.etsy.com/shop/kudzucoop.