The morphological differences between them are subtle, they can breed with each other, and it appears that introduced kudzu populations in the United States have ancestry from more than one of the species.

Pueraria montana is native to East Asia, primarily subtropical and temperate regions of China, Japan, and Korea,[6][7] with trifoliate leaves composed of three leaflets.

Kudzu's primary method of reproduction is asexual vegetative spread (cloning) which is aided by the ability to root wherever a stem is exposed to soil.

As a result, the gene pool of kudzu is diverse, vigorous, and strongly influenced by the plant's relationship with humans.

The starchy root of kudzu has been used for food in China since before 540 CE, with specific cultivars bred for this purpose, and often sustained Chinese people during famines that occurred throughout history.

Kudzu starch is an important component of many Japanese confections and sweets, valued for its ability to set firmly with a fine, translucent appearance.

From the Zhou dynasty to the early twentieth century, kudzu was one of three major textile materials used in China, with the others being silk and ramie.

Kudzu textiles were inexpensive and widespread, and formed such a major part of commerce that the Zhou dynasty had a specific office for dealing with kudzu-related affairs.

To obtain the bast fibers, the new young vines are harvested in summer and boiled, then left to be fermented by the action of naturally occurring bacteria in mounds of grass until the outer bark becomes slimy and can be washed off in running water.

[20] The natural range of Pueraria montana can be found in India, Myanmar, Indochina, China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, the Pacific Islands, and in north Australia.

Its invasiveness can be attributed to similarities between both native and newly invaded niches, effectively expanding its habitable range into areas with climates it may not be able to endure otherwise.

During World War II, kudzu was introduced to Vanuatu and Fiji by United States Armed Forces to serve as camouflage for equipment.

As a result of growing over native plants and trees, it blocks their access of vital resources such as sunlight, killing off young vegetation.

[8] This potentially could lead to the death of certain animal species, specifically herbivores, that depend on some vegetation as a resource for both food and shelter.

However, with the continuous rise in global temperature, it is predicted that P. montana will rapidly spread northward as a result of the increased number of warmer days.