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Invasive plants are introduced multicellular organisms of the kingdom Plantae, which produce their food by photosynthesis. Examples of invasive plants include mosses, herbs, shrubs, flowering plants, trees, vines, etc.

What is an Invasive Species? An invasive plant has the ability to thrive and spread aggressively outside its native range. A naturally aggressive plant may be especially invasive when it is introduced to a new habitat.

Invasive aquatic plant species are included in our Aquatic Species - Aquatic Invasive Plants section.

Use our Plants Custom Search Engine to search for invasive species information included in this section of NISIC's site:

Species Profiles

Scotch broom Spotted knapweed Yellow starthistle Saltcedar

Listed below are the plant species for which we have completed species profiles - general information about plant species commonly known as invasive. This is not a list of all invasive plant species, nor does it have any regulatory implications. These profiles are provided as an educational informational tool.

Invasive Plants

Air Potato (Dioscorea bulbifera)
Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata)
Beach Vitex (Vitex rotundifolia)
Brazilian Peppertree (Schinus terebinthifolius)
Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense)
Chinese Tallow (Triadica sebifera)
Cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica)
Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)
Common Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum)
Dalmatian Toadflax (Linaria dalmatica)
Diffuse Knapweed (Centaurea diffusa)
Downy Brome (Bromus tectorum)
Fig Buttercup (Ficaria verna)
Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum)
Golden Bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea)
Hairy Whitetop (Lepidium appelianum)
Houndstongue (Cynoglossum officinale)
Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii)
Japanese Climbing Fern (Lygodium japonicum)
Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)
Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica)
Japanese Spiraea (Spiraea japonica)
Japanese Stilt Grass (Microstegium vimineum)
Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense)
Kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata)
Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia esula)
Medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae)
Mile-A-Minute Weed (Persicaria perfoliata)
Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora)
Musk Thistle (Carduus nutans)
Old World Climbing Fern (Lygodium microphyllum)
Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus)
Princess Tree (Paulownia tomentosa)
Purple Star Thistle (Centaurea calcitrapa)
Quackgrass (Elymus repens)
Russian Knapweed (Rhaponticum repens)
Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia)
Saltcedar (Tamarix spp.)
St. Johnswort (Hypericum perforatum)
Sacred Bamboo (Nandina domestica)
Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius)
Scotch Thistle (Onopordum acanthium)
Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea stoebe)
Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima)
Tropical Soda Apple (Solanum viarum)
Whitetop (Lepidium draba)
Witchweed (Striga asiatica)
Yellow Star Thistle (Centaurea solstitialis)
Yellow Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris)

Species not Established in the U.S.
Provides examples of species of concern and why we must increase our efforts in early detection and rapid response and the prevention of new introductions.

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Last Modified: Jun 16, 2016
 
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