+

Weed Ranking Project
Alaska Natural Heritage Program
 major funding from
US Forest Service, State and Private Forestry
in cooperation with
National Park Service, Alaska Support Office
USDA, Agricultural Research Service
UAF, Cooperative Extension Service
US Geological Survey, Alaska Biological Science Center
 

Plantago major
 

Vicia cracca invading
Melilotus alba
 

Bromus tectorum
 

Lythrum salicaria
 
 

Linaria vulgaris
 
 
;Caragana arborescens
Caragana arborescens
 

Prunus padus
 
 
 

Hieraceum umbellatum
 
 

 
 
 
 
Below are two tables. The first table lists non-native species present in Alaska the second table lists non-native species currently not recorded in Alaska. The tables were last updated in November 2008. Species without links to ranking or bios are either new or are being re-written.

The ranking tables below are also available below as MS Excel tables.
Non-native species present in Alaska (Excel table) Non-native species NOT recorded in Alaska (Excel table)
Non-native species PRESENT in Alaska
Species Biography
Risk Assessment Report
Scientific Name
Common Name
Rank
0-100
(low-high)
Climate similarity of Alaska ecogeographic regions and areas where the species occurs
South Coastal
Interior Boreal
Arctic Alpine
Achillea ptarmica L.
sneezewort
46
Yes
Yes
Yes
Alliara petiolata (Bieb.) Cavara & Grande
garlic mustard
70
Yes
No
No
Anthemis cotula L.
Mayweed chamomile, dog fennel
41
Yes
Yes
No
Bromus inermis ssp. inermis Leyss.
smooth brome
62
Yes
Yes
Yes
Bromus tectorum L.
cheatgrass
78
Yes
Yes
Yes
CARA-bio CARA-rank Campanula rapunculoides L. Creeping bellflower
64
Yes
Yes
Yes
Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik. L.
shepherd's purse
40
Yes
Yes
Yes
Caragana arborescens Lam.
Siberian pea shrub
66
No
Yes
Yes
Centaurea biebersteinii DC
spotted knapweed
86
Yes
Yes
No
Cerastrium fontanum ssp. vulgare (Hartman) Breuter & Burdert & C. glomeratum Thill.
mouse-ear chickweed, big chickweed & sticky chickweed
36
Yes
Yes
Yes
CHAL-rank
Chenopodium album L.
lambsquarters
37
Yes
Yes
Yes
Cirsium arvense L. Scop.
Canada thistle
76
Yes
Yes
Yes
Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten.
bull thistle, common thistle
61
Yes
Yes
Yes
Convulvulus arvensis L.
field bindweed, morning glory
56
Yes
Yes
Yes
Cotula coronopifolia L.
common brassbuttons
42
Yes
No
No
Crepis tectorum L.
narrow-leaf hawk's beard

54
Yes
Yes
Yes
Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link
English broom, Scotch broom
69
Yes
No
No
Dactylis glomerata L.)
orchardgrass
54
Yes
Yes
Yes
Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb ex Prantl.
flixweed
41
Yes
Yes
Yes
Digitalis purpurea (L.)
purple foxglove
51
Yes
Yes
No
Elymus repens (L.) Gould
quackgrass, couchgrass, dog grass
59
Yes
Yes
Yes
Fallopia convolvulus (L.) Á. Löve. (Polygonum convolvulus L. )
black bindweed
50
Yes
Yes
Yes

Polygonym sachalinense F. Schmidt ex Maxim.) R. Decr. or Fallopiasachalinensis (F. Schmidt ex Maxim.)
P.× bohemicum (J. Chrtek & Chrtkova) Zika &
Jacobson [cuspidatum x sachalinense] or F. x bohemica (Chrtek & Chrtková) J. P.
Bailey P. cuspidatum Sieb. & Zucc. or F. japonica (Houtt.) R. Decr.


Giant knotweed Bohemian knotweed Japanese knotweed
87
Yes
Yes
No
Galeopsis bifida Boenn. and G. tetrahit L.
split-lip hemp-nettle
40
Yes
Yes
Yes
Glechoma hederacea L.
ground ivy
48
Yes
Yes
Yes
Gypsophila paniculata L.
baby's breath
57
Yes
Yes
Yes
Hesperis matronalis L.
dame's rocket
41
Yes
Yes
No
Hieracium aurantiacum L. and
Hieracium caespitosum
orange hawksweed, devil's paintbrush & meadow hawkweed
79
Yes
Yes
Yes
HIUM-rank
Hieracium umbellatum L.
narrow-leaved hawkweed
54
Yes
Yes
Yes
Hordeum jubatum L.
foxtail barley
63
Yes
Yes
Yes
Hordeum murinum ssp. leporinum (Link) Arcang.
leporinum barley, lepor barley
60
No
Yes
No
Hypericum perforatum
St. Johnswort
52
Yes
Yes
Yes
Impatiens glandulifera Royle
ornamental jewelweed
82
Yes
Yes
No
Lappula squarrosa (Retz.) Dumont.
European stickweed, bristly sheepburr
44
Yes
Yes
Yes
Lepidium densiflorum var. densiflorum Schrad. ,
L. densiflorum var. elongatum (Rydb.) Thellung. tall
common pepperweed, pepperweed
25
Yes
Yes
Yes
Leucanthemum vulgare Lam.
oxeye daisy, white daisy
61
Yes
Yes
Yes
Linaria vulgaris Miller
yellow toadflax, butter and eggs
61
Yes
Yes
Yes
Lolium perenne ssp. multiflorum (Lam.) Husnot
annual ryegrass
41
Yes
Yes
Yes
Lonicera tatarica L.
bush honeysuckle
66
Yes
Yes
No
LUPO-bio
Lupinus polyphyllus-rank

Lupinus polyphyllus Lindl.

bigleaf lupine, marsh lupine
55
Yes
-
-

Lythrum salicaria L. &
L. virgatum L.

purple loosestrife, spike loostrife
83
No
Yes
No
Matricaria discoidea DC.
disc mayweed, pineappleweed
32
Yes
Yes
Yes
Medicago luplina L.
Black medic
48
Yes
Yes
Yes
Medicago sativa ssp. falcata (L.) Arcang.
Yellow alfalfa
64
Yes
Yes
Yes
Medicago sativa ssp. sativa L.
Alfalfa
59
Yes
Yes
Yes
Melilotus alba Medikus
white sweetclover
81
Yes
Yes
Yes
Melilotus officinalis (L.) Lam
yellow sweetclover, king's crown
69
Yes
Yes
Yes
MYMU-rank
Mycelis muralis (L.) Dumort.
wall lettuce
31
Yes
No
No
Nymphaea odorata ssp. odorata Ait.
white waterlilly
80
Yes
No
No
Phalaris arundinacea L.
reed canarygrass, canarygrass
83
Yes
Yes
Yes
Phleum pratense L.
common timothy
54
Yes
Yes
Yes
Plantago major L.
common plantain
44
Yes
Yes
Yes
Poa annua L.
annual bluegrass
46
Yes
Yes
Yes
Poa compressa L.
Canada bluegrass
39
Yes
Yes
Yes
Poa pratensis L. ssp. pratensis, P. p pratensis ssp. irrigata (Lindm.) (Lindb.f.), P. trivalis L.
Kentucky bluegrass, spreading bluegrass and rough bluegrass
52
Yes
Yes
Yes
Polygonum aviculare L .
prostrate knotweed, yard knotweed
45
Yes
Yes
Yes
Polygonum persicaria L. (Persicaria maculosa Gray),
Polygonum lapathifolium L. or Persicaria lapathifolia (Linnaeus) Gray
spotted ladysthumb, curlytop knotweed
47
Yes
Yes
Yes
Prunus padus L.
European bird cherry
74
Yes
Yes
No

Ranunculus repens L., Ranunculis acris L.
creeping buttercup and tall buttercup
54
Yes
Yes
Yes

Rubus discolor Weihe & Nees

Himalyan blackberry
77
Yes
No
No
Rumex acetosella L.
sheep sorrel
51
Yes
Yes
Yes
Rumex crispus L., R. obtusifolius L. and
R. longifolius DC.
curly dock, bitter dock, dooryard dock
48
Yes
Yes
Yes
SAOF-bio
SAOF-rank
Saponaria officinalis L.
bouncing-bett
34
-
-
-
Senecio jacobaea L.
ragwort, stinking willie
63
Yes
Yes
Yes
Senecio vulgaris L.
common groundsel, old-man-in-the-Spring
35
Yes
Yes
Yes
Silene-rank
Silene noctiflora L.,
S. latifloila ssp. alba L.,
S. vulgaris (Moench),
S. dioica L.
night-flowering catchfly, white cockle, bladder campion, Clairville red catchfly
42
Yes
Yes
Yes
Sonchus arvensis L. ssp. uliginosus (Bieb.) Nyman
perennial sowthistle, moist sowthistle
73
Yes
Yes
No
Sorbus aucuparia L.
European mountain ash, rowan
59
Yes
No
No
Spergula arvensis L.
Corn spurry
32
Yes
Yes
No
Stellaria media L. (Vill.)/disturbed sites
common chickweed
42
Yes
Yes
Yes
Stellaria media L. (Vill.)/sea bird colonies
common chickweed
54
Yes
Yes
Yes
Tanacetum vulgare L.
common tansy, garden tansy
57
Yes
Yes
Yes
Taraxacum officinale G.H. Weber ex Wigg
common dandelion
58
Yes
Yes
Yes
Tagopogon dubius Scop.
yellow salsify, goat's bear
50
Yes
Yes
No
Trifolium hybridum L.
alsike clover
57
Yes
Yes
Yes
Trifolium pratense L.
red clover
53
Yes
Yes
Yes
Trifolium repens L.
white clover, ladino clover
59
Yes
Yes
Yes
Tripleurospermum perforata (Merat) M. Lainz
scentless false mayweed,
scentless chamomile
48
Yes
Yes
Yes
Verbascum thapsus L.
common mullein
52
Yes
Yes
No
Vicia cracca L.
bird vetch, cow vetch, tufted vetch
73
Yes
Yes
Yes
Vicia villosa Roth
winter vetch
53
Yes
Yes
No

 

Non-native species NOT recorded in Alaska, but with a high probability of occurring in Alaska. They have been found in Washington state and neighboring Canadian provinces and territories.
Species Biography
Risk Assessment Report
Scientific Name
Common Name
Rank
0-100
(low-high)
Climate similarity of Alaska ecogeographic regions and areas where the species occurs
South Coastal
Interior Boreal
Arctic Alpine
Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaerth.
European alder, black alder
61
Yes
Yes
Yes
Brachypodium sylvaticum (Huds.) Beauv.
false-brome
70
Yes
Yes
Yes
Carduus nutans L., C. acanthoides L., C. pycnocephalus L. , C. tenuiflorus W. Curtis
musk thistle, plumeless thistle, Italian thistle, slender-flowered thistle
61
Yes
Yes
Yes
Crupina vulgaris Cass.
common crupina, bearded creaper
rejected from consideration
No
No
No
Euphorbia esula L.
leafy spurge
84
Yes
Yes
No
Heracleum mantegazzianum Sommier & Levier
giant hogweed
81
Yes
Yes
Yes
Hydrilla verticillata ( L. f) Royle
hydrilla
80
Yes
Yes
Yes
Lepidium latifolium L.
perennial pepperweed, tall whitetop
72
No
Yes
Yes
Linaria dalmatica L.
Dalmatian toadflax
58
No
Yes
No
Myriophyllum spicatum L.
Eurasian watermilfoil
90
Yes
Yes
No
Potentilla recta L.
sulphur cinquefoil
57
Yes
Yes
No
Spartina alterniflora Loisel,
S. angelica C.E. Hubbard,
S. densiflora Brongn.,
S. patens (Ait.) Muhls
Atlantic cordgrass, saltmarsh grass, smooth cordgrass
86
Yes
No
No
Zostera japonica Aschers. & Graebn.
dwarf eelgrass
53
Yes
Yes
No
A cooperative project between the USFS State and Private Forestry, the National Park Service, Alaska Natural Heritage Program and the USGS Alaska Science Center in support of the Alaska Committee for Noxious and Invasive Plants Management (CNIPM) and the Strategic Plan for Noxious and Invasive Plants Management in Alaska. The Alaska Natural Heritage Program adminsiters the database and website for the project.

Alaska Natural Heritage Program
Environment and Natural Resources Institute
University of Alaska Anchorage
707 A Street, Anchorage, Alaska 99501
Phone (907) 257-2780 Fax (907) 257-2789

Last updated November 14, 2008 © Copyright 2005, University of Alaska Anchorage
Please contact anhc@uaa.alaska.edu with any additions or corrections