noun
General term for climbing or creeping plants, including vines and lianas. Often used in botanical or descriptive contexts.
庭のフェンスに葛が絡まっている。
A vine is twining around the garden fence.
熱帯雨林では、大きな葛が木に巻き付いている。
In the rainforest, large lianas wrap around the trees.
Kana spelling, useful when the kanji is ambiguous.
つる is the more common word for vine or tendril in everyday Japanese. かずら is somewhat more literary or technical, often used for larger, woody climbers.
The origin is uncertain, but the word is native Japanese. The kanji 葛 is also used for くず (kudzu), but the reading かずら is distinct.