Kudzu Candles and Crafts

Some Uses for Kudzu - The Plant That Ate The South

Kudzu Covered House

Where can I find information about making candles from Kudzu?

Helms

Right here.

Kudzu candles are simply candles scented with richly fragrant oil made from kudzu flowers. If you've made candles before and still have some wax on hand, you've already got everything you need except the kudzu fragrance oil.

You can find that at SaveOnScents.com.

The kudzu flower has a rich sweet scent with leafy undertones. Some describe it as a grape-like smell. You might also consider making kudzu potpourri tarts. They're just as easy as candles and are quite popular right now. Read my directions for scented potpourri tarts.

The Kudzu Plant

The Kudzu vine is also called "The Plant That Ate the South" and countless millions of dollars are spent every year trying to keep it under control.

If you've ever driven through parts of Georgia and seen an eerie landscape of trees, telephone poles and perhaps an abandoned building completely enshrouded by vines - that was kudzu.

Turns out, certain parts of the Deep South have ideal growing conditions for kudzu - better even than its native China and Japan.

The vine can grow up to a foot a day under optimal conditions. If not controlled, the vines will pull down power lines, smother whole forests to death and consume the rest of your garden.

Of course no one knew that when kudzu was introduced into the U.S. at the Japanese garden pavilion during the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. The kudzu's broad leaves and richly fragrant reddish-purple blooms made it seem highly desirable as an ornamental plant for American gardens.

In 1953, kudzu was officially declared a weed by the U.S. government. Now there seem to be two camps of kudzu aficionados: those looking for ways to control and eradicate it; and those looking for ways to put it to good use.

Kudzu is a good grazing plant for livestock, nutritionally comparable to alfalfa. Humans can eat kudzu too; all parts of the plant are edible (provided they haven't been sprayed with herbicide).

Herbal tea can be made from the leaves; and jam from the blossoms.

The young leaves can be cooked like spinach.

The roots ground into a powder make a good substitute for cornstarch.

You can even make kudzu wine.

On the other hand, kudzu has long been a folk remedy for alcoholism and is under study as a possible treatment for the disease.

Kudzu Crafts

And then there are the many craft uses for kudzu in addition to candles and potpourri tarts. The scent can be and is used in all types of scented products, from soaps to body oils and lotions.

The woody fibrous stems can be used to make textiles and paper or they can be woven into baskets.

Here is a link to step-by-step illustrated directions for weaving kudzu vine baskets - starting with how to gather the vines (boots and gloves recommended)!