Rhymes With Kudzu Trivia Quiz

Answer: False

Kudzu was introduced to the U.S. in 1876 at the Philadelphia Continental Exposition. The plant was introduced at the Japanese pavilion at the Exposition.

While there are many benefits to the vine, it is also considered an invasive species, overshadowing other indigenous plants and causing them to die. It is very difficult to contain once it has become established and, as a result, the southeast region of the U.S. is well known for its roadside trees bearing the burden of the vine, billboards being encroached upon, and vast areas of farmland as well as woodlands being nearly overwhelmed with its presence.

First encouraged as a method of preventing soil erosion, "King Kudzu" just took over many areas and an ongoing battle between it and man has ensued. Other areas around the world that have been overwhelmed with kudzu include Fiji, Northern Australia and even portions of northern Italy.

There are some benefits to this plant that many call a weed; among them some medicinal uses, fodder usage and soil enrichment, but it is so pervasive that the benefits are often overlooked as man does battle with this clinging and rapidly spreading vine.

Answer: they lose their foliage in winter

The native area of the Bald Cypress extends southward from the Delaware Bay to Florida and westward to Texas and upward into Illinois. Bald Cypresses lose their foliage (needles) in the winter months after turning brown; hence the name.

Bald Cypresses love swampy areas and even grow well in wetland areas that aren't exactly swamps, but that do encourage growth for the young seedlings. Water is a great necessity for the trees and while seedlings may stem from seeds, the Bald Cypress is one of the few conifers that sends out sprouts from the stump as well.

Answer: Southern Magnolia

The Southern Magnolia is native to the southern United States, regionally growing prolifically from Virginia southward to Florida and westward to Oklahoma. It is also known as Bull Bay and as Magnolia grandiflora, a name meaning great flower.

The large snowy white flowers of the magnolia are lemon-scented and can get as large as twelve inches in diameter. The tree itself can grow rather large, with one particular specimen in Mississippi reaching a height of 122 feet!

Its large glossy leaves provide an excellent shade and it is so popular throughout the region that it has been proclaimed the state flower of Louisiana and designated as the state tree of Mississippi.

Answer: from the Latin word for "cane"

While the Canna Lily derives its name from the Latin "cane" or "reed", it is not a true lily at all. Among its closest relatives are the ginger and banana plants.

Answer: Maroon

The wild plant known as Sweet Shrub, Carolina Spice, Strawberry Bush and Sweet Betsy has such a pungently sweet odor that in older times women would make a cachet of the flowers and put them into drawers to freshen the house. The typical sweet shrub bush can grow from three to nine feet tall, and is loaded with small, fruity smelling maroon flowers.

Answer: crepe myrtle

The crepe myrtle, (or crape myrtle), is a native of southeast Asia, India and Australia, but it also thrives in the climate of the southern U.S. The shrub gets its name from the tiny flowers that appear to be crinkled, much like crepe paper.

Answer: white, blue, red, pink and purple

Hydrangea flowers may be seen in white, (the most common color), light or dark blue, red, light pink, and light or dark purple. The pH balance of the soil in which they are planted determines the color. The more acidic the soil, the closer the flower will be to blue; the more alkali the soil, the more it will tend to be pink.

The species that blooms in white is unaffected by the pH balance and simply remains white.

Answer: False

Azaleas are native to Europe, North America and parts of Asia. This ornamental shrub is mildly poisonous, as it actually belongs to the rhododendron family and contains toxins in both its leaves and in the nectar of the flowers themselves.

Azalea festivals are found throughout the southeastern states in the spring, but Japan, Korea and other countries also host similar festivals as they enjoy the riot of various colors of the shrub.

Answer: Virginia Creeper

Virginia Creeper produces small greenish flowers in spring that become small purple berries in autumn. While these berries can be somewhat toxic to humans and other animals, birds can eat them safely.

The sap of the plant can cause blisters to form when it comes in contact with skin of sensitive people. There is a "false Virginia Creeper" that lacks the adhesive pads that the other variety has, and it is not as likely to cause blistering or rashes.

Answer: True

While the water lily can be found in tropical and subtropical zones around the world, the Okefenokee Swamp that covers portions of southeast Georgia and northern Florida has an abundance of this often invasive, yet beautiful, flowering plant.