1. Severe Threat
Exotic plant species which possess characteristics of invasive
species and spread easily into native plant communities and displace
native vegetation; includes species which are or could become widespread
in Kentucky.
Ailanthus altissima | tree-of-heaven |
Alliaria petiolata | garlic mustard |
Carduus nutans | musk thistle |
Celastrus orbiculata | oriental bittersweet |
Conium maculatum | poison hemlock |
Coronilla varia | crown vetch |
Dioscorea oppositifolia | Chinese yam |
Elaeagnus umbellata | autumn olive |
Euonymus alatus | winged euonymus, burningbush |
Euonymus fortunei | winter creeper |
Festuca arundinacea (=Lolium arundinaceum) | Kentucky 31 fescue |
Lespedeza cuneata | sericea lespedeza |
Ligustrum sinense, L. vulgare | privet |
Lonicera japonica | Japanese honeysuckle |
Lonicera maackii, L. morrowi, L. tatarica | amur/bush honeysuckle, Morrow.s, tartarian h.s. |
Lythrum salicaria | purple loosestrife |
Melilotus alba | white sweet clover |
Melilotus officinalis | yellow sweet clover |
Microstegium vimineum | Japanese grass |
Miscanthus sinensis | Chinese silver grass |
Phragmites australis | common reed |
Polygonum cuspidatum | Japanese knotweed |
Pueraria lobata | kudzu |
Rosa multiflora | multiflora rose |
Sorghum halapense | Johnson grass |
Stellaria media | chickweed Moved up from #2.s |
2. Significant Threat
Exotic plant species which possess some invasive characteristics,
but have less impact on native plant communities; may have the
capacity to invade natural communities along disturbance
corridors, or to spread from stands in disturbed sites into
undisturbed areas, but have fewer characteristics of invasive
species than #1 rank.
Akebia quinata | akebia |
Albizia julibrissin | mimosa |
Arthraxon hispidus | hairy jointgrass |
Arctium minus | common burdock |
Berberis thunbergii | Japanese barberry |
Bromus inermis | smooth bromegrass |
Centaurea biebersteinii | spotted knapweed |
Chrysanthemum leucanthemum | ox-eye daisy |
Cirsium arvense | Canada thistle |
Daucus carota | Queen Anne's lace |
Dipsacus sylvestris | common teasel |
Eleusine indica | goose grass |
Glechoma hederacea | ground ivy |
Hedera helix | English ivy |
Ipomoea hederacea | ivy-leafed morning-glory |
Ipomoea purpurea | purple morning-glory |
Lespedeza bicolor | bicolor lespedeza |
Lespedeza stipulacea (=Kummerowia) | Korean lespedeza |
Lespedeza striata (= Kummerowia) | Kobe lespedeza |
Mentha piperata | mint |
Morus alba | white mulberry |
Mosla dianthera | miniature beefsteak |
Ornithogalum umbellatum | star-of-Bethlehem |
Paulownia tomentosa | Chinese empress-tree |
Poa pratensis | bluegrass |
Polygonum cespitosum | bunchy knotweed |
Polygonum persicaria | lady's thumb |
Populus alba | white poplar |
Rorrippa nasturtium-aquaticum | water cress |
Setaria faberi | giant foxtail |
Setaria viridis | green foxtail |
Spiraea japonica | Japanese spiraea |
Stellaria media | chickweed Moved to #1.s |
Vinca minor | lesser periwinkle |
3. Lesser Threat
Exotic plant species which seem to principally spread and remain in disturbed corridors, not readily invading natural areas; also some agronomic weeds.
Arenaria serpyllifolia | thyme-leaf sandwort |
Barbarea vulgaris | yellow rocket |
Chenopodium album | lamb's quarters |
Chenopodium ambrosioides | Mexican tea |
Cichorium intybus | chicory |
Commelina communis | dayflower |
Convolvulus arvensis | field bindweed |
Dianthus armeria | Deptford pink |
Duchesnea indica | Indian strawberry |
Echinochloa crus-galli | barnyard grass |
Eragrostis cilianensis | lovegrass |
Galium pedemontanum | cleavers |
Hemerocallis fulva | day lily |
Holcus lanatus | velvet grass |
Hypericum perforatum | common St. John's-wort |
Ipomoea lacunosa | white morning-glory |
Lactuca saligna | willowleaf lettuce |
Lamium amplexicaule | henbit |
Leonurus cardiaca | motherwort |
Lespedeza thunbergii | shrubby lespedeza |
Lithospermum arvense | corn-gromwell |
Lolium multiflorum | Italian rye |
Medicago lupulina | black medic |
Nepeta cataria | catnip |
Oxalis stricta (= O. europea) | common yellow wood-sorrel |
Poa annua | speargrass |
Poa compressa | Canada bluegrass |
Potentilla recta | sulphur five-fingers |
Prunella vulgaris | self-heal |
Ranunculus bulbosus | bulbous buttercup |
Rumex acetosella | dock, sheep sorrel |
Solanum dulcamara | bitter nightshade |
Thlaspi perfoliatum | field cress |