Pueraria montana var. lobata in Croatia
Pueraria montana var. lobata (Fabaceae: EPPO A2 List) is native to East Asia, and has been introduced as a garden ornamental in many countries of the world. In the EPPO region, the species was introduced as a ornamental species in the late 1800s. In Croatia, P. montana var. lobata was previously listed in the Flora Croatica Database under the name Pueraria thunbergiana. In 2018, records of Pueraria montana var. lobata were reported from Malinska on the island of Krk. Following this record, a study was conducted in Croatia to evaluate the distribution of Pueraria montana var. lobata in the country and to assess its potential for further spread and negative impacts. Pueraria montana var. lobata was recorded in several scattered localities, mainly in the coastal areas of Croatia. In these areas, it was found in a variety of habitats from urban and semi-urban environments, and in the Trsteno Arboretum (South Dalmatia). Modelling predicts that there is potential for further establishment, especially in the southern and northern coastal areas of Croatia. At present, Pueraria montana var. lobata is not yet considered invasive in Croatia, though it has characteristics that show it can become invasive. As a species of European Union concern (EU Regulation 1143/2014), its use or exchange, transport, placement on the market, and keeping or releasing into the environment is prohibited and it should be eradicated at all known localities in Croatia.
Sources
Boršić I, Kutleša P, de Groot M, Jelaska SD (2023) Kudzu vine (Pueraria montana var. lobata , Fabaceae): Invasive alien species of Union concern (EU Regulation 1143/2014) in Croatia. EPPO Bulletin 54, 64-75.