Invasive Plants of Massachusetts

 
Invasive Plants Listed by Common Name
Invasive Plants Listed by Scientific Name

What are Invasive Plants?

Invasive plants are non-native plants that are capable of aggressively invading natural areas and displacing native vegetation.  They generally lack predators and parasites, giving them a competitive edge over native species.  Approximately 45 percent of the vascular plant species that occur in Massachusetts are non-native (Sorrie and Somers, 1999).  However, only a small fraction of these plants is considered invasive.  Plants that qualify as invasive typically have high rates of growth, reproduction, and dispersal. 

Lists of invasive plant species specific to Massachusetts and New England have been compiled by the Massachusetts Invasive Plant Advisory Group (MIPAG) and the Invasive Plant Atlas of New England (IPANE), respectively.  MIPAG categorizes invasive plant species in Massachusetts as "Invasive" (known invasives) and "Likely Invasive" (species that have invasive potential but do not currently meet all of MIPAG's criteria for invasiveness).  They have also identified a list of "Potentially Invasive" species, which have not yet spread to Massachusetts but are known to pose invasive threats.  The IPANE list includes established/widespread invasives, early detection species (which have high invasive potential but are relatively new and have not yet become widespread), and species that are being evaluated for invasiveness. 

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, with input from MIPAG, developed a list of Massachusetts Prohibited Plants, which includes species identified as invasive and/or noxious.  It is currently illegal to import, propagate or sell any of the plants on this list within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  The Department derives its authority to enact this ban under Massachusetts General Law, including Chapter 128 Section 2 and Sections 16 through 31A.  

Invasive plant species commonly observed in Massachusetts are listed below.  Please note, this is not an all-inclusive list of invasive plants.  For a more comprehensive listing, refer to the IPANE and MIPAG species lists.

Invasive Plants listed by Common Name

Common Name  Scientific Name

MIPAG Category

IPANE species?

Importation, Propagation and Sale Prohibited in MA?
Autumn Olive Elaeagnus umbellata Invasive Yes Yes
Barberry, common Berberis vulgaris Likely Invasive Yes Yes
Barberry, Japanese Berberis thunbergii Invasive Yes Yes
Bittercress, narrow-leaf Cardamine impatiens Likely Invasive Yes Yes
Bittersweet, oriental Celastrus orbiculatus Invasive Yes Yes
Brome-grass, Drooping Bromus tectorum NA Yes No
Broom, Scotch Cytisus scoparius Did not meet criteria* Yes No
Buckthorn, common Rhamnus cathartica Invasive Yes Yes
Buckthorn, glossy Frangula alnus Invasive Yes Yes
Celandine Chelidonium majus NA Yes No
Colt's-foot Tussilago farfara Likely Invasive Yes Yes
Dame's rocket Hesperis matronalis Invasive Yes Yes
Euonymus, winged Euonymus alata Invasive Yes Yes
Fanwort Cabomba caroliniana Invasive Yes Yes
Forget-me-not, true Myosotis scorpioides Likely Invasive Yes Yes
Garlic, wild Allium vineale NA Yes No
Goutweed Aegopodium podagraria Invasive Yes Yes
Grass, reed canary Phalaris arundinacea Invasive Yes Yes
Honeysuckle, Bell's Lonicera x bella Invasive Yes Yes
Honeysuckle, Japanese Lonicera japonica Invasive Yes Yes
Honeysuckle, Morrow's Lonicera morrowii Invasive Yes Yes
Honeysuckle, tatarian Lonicera tatarica Likely Invasive Yes Yes
Indigobush Amorpha fruticosa NA Yes No
Ivy, ground Glechoma hederacea NA Yes No
Knapweed, spotted Centaurea biebersteinii Likely Invasive Yes Yes
Knotweed, Japanese Polygonum cuspidatum Invasive Yes Yes
Locust, black Robinia pseudoacacia Invasive Yes Yes
Loosestrife, purple Lythrum salicaria Invasive Yes Yes
Maple, Norway Acer platanoides Invasive Yes Yes
Mustard, garlic Alliaria petiolata Invasive Yes Yes
Nightshade, bittersweet Solanum dulcamara NA Yes No
Pepperweed, broad-leaved Lepidium latifolium Invasive Yes Yes
Porcelainberry Ampelopsis brevipedunculata Likely Invasive Yes Yes
Privet, border Ligustrum obtusifolium Likely Invasive Yes Yes
Ragged robin Lychnis flos-cuculi NA Yes No
Reed, common Phragmites australis Invasive Yes Yes
Rose, multiflora Rosa multiflora Invasive Yes Yes
Rose, rugosa Rosa rugosa Did not meet criteria* Yes No
Sorrel, sheep Rumex acetosella NA Yes No
Spurge, cypress Euphorbia cyparissias Likely Invasive Yes Yes
Stiltgrass, Japanese Microstegium vimineum Likely Invasive Yes Yes
Swallowwort, black Cynanchum louiseae Invasive Yes Yes
Swallowwort, pale Cynanchum rossicum Likely Invasive Yes Yes
Tree-of-Heaven Ailanthus altissima Invasive Yes Yes
Water chestnut Trapa natans Invasive Yes Yes
Watercress Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum Did not meet criteria* Yes No
Wintercreeper Euonymus fortunei NA No No

Invasive Plants Listed by Scientific Name
 

Scientific Name  Common Name MIPAG Category IPANE species? Importation, Propagation and Sale Prohibited in MA?
Acer platanoides Maple, Norway Invasive Yes Yes
Aegopodium podagraria Goutweed Invasive Yes Yes
Ailanthus altissima Tree-of-Heaven Invasive Yes Yes
Alliaria petiolata Mustard, garlic Invasive Yes Yes
Allium vineale Garlic, wild NA Yes No
Amorpha fruticosa Indigobush NA Yes No
Ampelopsis brevipedunculata Porcelainberry Likely Invasive Yes Yes
Berberis thunbergii Barberry, Japanese Invasive Yes Yes
Berberis vulgaris Barberry, common Likely Invasive Yes Yes
Bromus tectorum Brome-grass, Drooping NA Yes No
Cabomba caroliniana Fanwort Invasive Yes Yes
Cardamine impatiens Bittercress, narrow-leaf Likely Invasive Yes Yes
Celastrus orbiculatus Bittersweet, oriental Invasive Yes Yes
Centaurea biebersteinii Knapweed, spotted Likely Invasive Yes Yes
Chelidonium majus Celandine NA Yes No
Cynanchum louiseae Swallowwort, black Invasive Yes Yes
Cynanchum rossicum Swallowwort, pale Likely Invasive Yes Yes
Cytisus scoparius Broom, Scotch Did not meet criteria* Yes No
Elaeagnus umbellata Autumn Olive Invasive Yes Yes
Euonymus alata Euonymus, winged Invasive Yes Yes
Euonymus fortunei Wintercreeper NA No No
Euphorbia cyparissias Spurge, cypress Likely Invasive Yes Yes
Frangula alnus Buckthorn, glossy Invasive Yes Yes
Glechoma hederacea Ivy, ground NA Yes No
Hesperis matronalis Dame's rocket Invasive Yes Yes
Lepidium latifolium Pepperweed, broad-leaved Invasive Yes Yes
Ligustrum obtusifolium Privet, border Likely Invasive Yes Yes
Lonicera japonica Honeysuckle, Japanese Invasive Yes Yes
Lonicera morrowii Honeysuckle, Morrow's Invasive Yes Yes
Lonicera tatarica Honeysuckle, tatarian Likely Invasive Yes Yes
Lonicera x bella Honeysuckle, Bell's Invasive Yes Yes
Lychnis flos-cuculi Ragged robin NA Yes No
Lythrum salicaria Loosestrife, purple Invasive Yes Yes
Microstegium vimineum Stiltgrass, Japanese Likely Invasive Yes Yes
Myosotis scorpioides Forget-me-not, true Likely Invasive Yes Yes
Phalaris arundinacea Grass, reed canary Invasive Yes Yes
Phragmites australis Reed, common Invasive Yes Yes
Polygonum cuspidatum Knotweed, Japanese Invasive Yes Yes
Rhamnus cathartica Buckthorn, common Invasive Yes Yes
Robinia pseudoacacia Locust, black Invasive Yes Yes
Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum Watercress Did not meet criteria* Yes No
Rosa multiflora Rose, multiflora Invasive Yes Yes
Rosa rugosa Rose, rugosa Did not meet criteria* Yes No
Rumex acetosella Sorrel, sheep NA Yes No
Solanum dulcamara Nightshade, bittersweet NA Yes No
Trapa natans Water chestnut Invasive Yes Yes
Tussilago farfara Colt's-foot Likely Invasive Yes Yes

Notes:
IPANE - Invasive Plant Atlas of New England
MIPAG - Massachusetts Invasive Plant Advisory Group
NA - Not applicable/not listed
* - Species was evaluated, but did not meet criteria to qualify it as invasive or likely invasive.


References

Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, 2009.  Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List.  Available from http://www.mass.gov/agr/farmproducts/proposed_prohibited_plant_list_v12-12-05.htm

Massachusetts Invasive Plant Advisory Group (MIPAG), 2005.  Final Report: The Evaluation of Non-Native Plant Species for Invasiveness in Massachusetts.  February 28, 2005.  Updated April 1, 2005.  Available from  http://www.massnrc.org/MIPAG/

Mehrhoff, L. J., J. A. Silander, Jr., S. A. Leicht, E. S. Mosher and N. M. Tabak. 2003.  IPANE: Invasive Plant Atlas of New England. Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.  URL: http://www.ipane.org

Sorrie, B.A. and Sommers, P. 1999. The Vascular Plants of Massachusetts: A County Checklist. Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program.

Updated: 4/7/2009

Plants | Animals | Fungi | Protoctists
HOME