A List of Common Exotic Invasive Plants

Clearwing Hummingbird Moth
Clearwing Hummingbird Moth visits Butterfly Bush (invasive plant).

Invasive exotic plants are plants that are not indigenous to an area but nevertheless have established themselves and reproduced. Not being indigenous to an area, the plants have no natural predators or diseases. This freedom from predators and diseases enables the exotic plants to spread unchecked.

Exotic invasive plants run rampant and inhabit space that native plants normally would. Native indigenous plants which feed native indigenous insects and other animals are overwhelmed by the exotics. The food sources of native indigenous insects and other animals disappear.

No native indigenous plants = no native indigenous insects, butterflies or beetles.

About Native Plants

Why Native Plants?

My Love Affair with Native Plants

 

Invasive Species Defined

The United States Government defines an invasive species as:

“An “invasive species” is defined as a species that is 1) non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem under consideration and 2) whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.” Executive Order 13112, 1999 (signed by President Clinton, which established the Invasive Species Council).

 “Invasive Exotic Plant Tutorial” on the Department of Natural Resources.

 

Invasive Plants Fact Sheets

Invasive Plant Fact Sheets have been moved on the DNR website. This link leads to a list of all the fact sheets.

Invasive Trees (6)

Norway maple Acer platanoides Fact Sheet Management & Control
Sycamore maple Acer pseudoplatanus Fact Sheet Management & Control
Tree-of-heaven Ailanthus altissima Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Princess tree Paulownia tomentosa Fact Sheet Management & Control
Callery pear Pyrus calleryana (and all cultivars) Fact Sheet Management & Control
Siberian elm Ulmus pumila Fact Sheet Management & Control

Invasive Shrubs (19)

European black alder Alnus glutinosa Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Japanese barberry Berberis thunbergii Fact Sheet Management
& Control
European barberry Berberis vulgaris Fact Sheet Management
& Control
Russian olive Elaeagnus angustifolia Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Autumn olive Elaeagnus umbellata Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Winged Euonymus Euonymus alatus Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Border privet Ligustrum obtusifolium Fact Sheet Management & Control
Common privet Ligustrum vulgare Fact Sheet Management & Control
Amur honeysuckle Lonicera maackii Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Morrow’s honeysuckle Lonicera morrowii Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Bell’s honeysuckle Lonicera morrowii x tatarica Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Standish honeysuckle Lonicera standishii Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Tartarian honeysuckle Lonicera tatarica Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Common buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica Fact Sheet Management
& Control
Glossy buckthorn Rhamnus frangula Fact Sheet Management
& Control
Multiflora rose Rosa multiflora Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Wineberry Rubus phoenicolasius Fact Sheet Management & Control
Japanese spiraea Spiraea japonica Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Guelder rose Viburnum opulus var. opulus Fact Sheet Management & Control

Invasive Forbs/Grasses (25)

Goutweed Aegopodium podagraria Fact Sheet Management & Control
Garlic mustard Alliaria petiolata Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Cheatgrass Bromus tectorum Fact Sheet Management & Control
Spotted knapweed Centaurea maculosa (syn. C. biebersteinii) Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Greater celandine Chelidonium majus Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Canada thistle Cirsium arvense Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Poison hemlock Conium maculatum Fact Sheet Management
& Control
Crown vetch Coronilla varia Fact Sheet Management & Control
Hairy willow herb Epilobium hirsutum Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Tall fescue Festuca elatior Fact Sheet Management & Control
English ivy Hedera helix Fact Sheet Management & Control
Orange day-lily Hemerocallis fulva Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Giant hogweed Heracleum mantegazzianum Fact Sheet Management & Control
Dame’s rocket Hesperis matronalis Fact Sheet Management & Control
Purple loosestrife Lythrum salicaria, L. virgatum Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Japanese stilt grass Microstegium vimineum Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Star-of-Bethlehem Ornithogalum nutans, O. umbellatum Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Wild parsnip Pastinaca sativa Fact Sheet Management & Control
Beefsteak plant Perilla frutescens Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Reed canary grass Phalaris arundinacea Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Common reed Phragmites australis ssp. australis Fact Sheet Management & Control
Japanese knotweed Polygonum cuspidatum, P. sachalinense Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Lesser celandine Ranunculus ficaria Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Narrow-leaved cattail Typha angustifolia Fact Sheet Management & Control
Hybrid cattail T. x glauca (T. ang. x T. latifolia) Fact Sheet Management & Control

Invasive Vines (7)

Fiveleaf akebia Akebia quinata Fact Sheet Management & Control
Porcelain-berry Ampelopsis brevipedunculata Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Oriental bittersweet Celastrus orbiculatus Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Japanese honeysuckle Lonicera japonica Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Mile-a-minute weed Polygonum perfoliatum Fact Sheet Management & Control
Kudzu Pueraria lobata Fact Sheet Management & Control
Periwinkle Vinca minor Fact Sheet Management & Control

Invasive Aquatics (3)

Eurasian water-milfoil Myriophyllum spicatum Fact Sheet Management
& Control
Curly pondweed Potamogeton crispus Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Water chestnut Trapa natans Fact Sheet Management &
Control

Total = 60

Invasive Plant Watch List (16)

These are species that are known to be widespread problems in
other Mid-Atlantic states and have recently been reported, by experienced field
botanists and a recent DCNR Survey conducted for State Parks and State Forests,
as being established in some natural areas in PA. In addition, some of these
species are significant problems in adjacent states and appear to be ‘on the
move’ towards PA. Contact DCNR – Bureau of Forestry for assistance if you are
dealing with a species that we have not included in this list.

Butterfly bush Buddleja davidii Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Climbing euonymus Euonymus fortunei Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Japanese hops Humulus japonica Fact Sheet Management & Control
Hydrilla Hydrilla verticillata Fact Sheet Management & Control
Miscanthus Miscanthus sinensis Fact Sheet Management & Control
Japanese pachysandra Pachysandra terminalis Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Corktrees Phellodendron spp. Fact Sheet Management & Control
Rough bluegrass Poa trivialis L. Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Bee-bee tree Tetradium daniellii Fact Sheet Management & Control
Siebold viburnum Viburnum sieboldii Fact Sheet Management & Control
Linden viburnum Viburnum dilatatum Fact Sheet Management & Control
Doublefile viburnum Viburnum plicatum Fact Sheet Management & Control
Black swallow-wort Vincetoxicum nigrum Fact Sheet Management &
Control
Japanese wisteria Wisteria floribunda Fact Sheet Management & Control
Chinese wisteria Wisteria sinensis Fact Sheet Management & Control
Yucca Yucca flaccida Fact Sheet Management & Control

This list can be found on it’s original site: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/invasivetutorial/List.htm

Further resources on Invasive Plants

Why Native Plants?

Books

Invasive Plants: Guide to Identification and the Impacts and Control of Common North American Species, 2nd Edition

Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (Brooklyn Botanic Garden All-Region Guide)

Invasive Plant Species of the World: A reference guide to environmental weeds 

 Websites

National Invasive Species Council (NISC)
http://www.invasivespecies.gov/

National Invasive Species Information Center (NISIC)
http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/

New Jersey Weed Gallery
http://njaes.rutgers.edu/weeds/

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