Overgrow

Overgrow is a term used in botany and horticulture that refers to vegetation extending over a surface, area, or another plant. As a verb, to overgrow means to grow beyond or across something, often forming a continuous cover. As a noun, overgrowth describes the resulting mass of vegetation, which can include vines, grasses, mosses, or shrubs.

In gardening and landscape design, overgrowth can be deliberate, such as ground covers, climbing plants, or hedge-like screens. It can also become problematic when it crowds out desired species, blocks sunlight, hinders airflow, or causes damage to structures, irrigation systems, or foundations. Management strategies include pruning, selective removal, and regular maintenance to balance growth with other landscape goals.

Ecologically, overgrowth can reflect natural succession or invasive behavior. Rapid vegetative expansion by a single species can reduce biodiversity, alter soil moisture, and suppress native plants. Invasive vines such as kudzu and similar species worldwide are often cited as examples of problematic overgrowth that authorities aim to control.

In popular culture, Overgrow is also the name of a historical online cannabis information website and community, active in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It provided cultivation guides, strain information, and forums, contributing to early online cannabis culture before its discontinuation.