by far the most notorious introduced species is kudzu, a highly invasive species from japan which climbs and smothers trees and shrubs. new effective herbicides as well as increased development of formerly rural areas has greatly reduced kudzu in the metro area (although still quite common elsewhere in georgia). wisteria planted decades ago by farmers in then-rural areas has become wild and is common in undeveloped forests. some vines exceed 50 years of age and cover dozens of acres of forest, creating a dense, purple explosion each spring.