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Invasive Exotic Plants of North Carolina

A comprehensive list of all plants the state of North Carolina or other government and environmental agencies deem to be invasive or potentially invasive.
List is sorted by taxonomy for easy comparison between similar species. To sort by threat severity, see the Tags.

Plants are ...more ↓

Plants are sorted by severity according to the list compiled by the NC Native Plant Society as follows:

• Rank 1 (Severe Threat): Exotic plant species that have invasive characteristics and spread readily into native plant communities, displacing native vegetation.

• Rank 2 (Significant Threat): Exotic plant species that display some invasive characteristics, but do not appear to present as great a threat to native communities in NC as the species listed in Rank 1.

• Rank 3 (Lesser Threat): Exotic plant species that spread into or around disturbed areas, and are presently considered a low threat to native plant communities in NC.

• Watch List A: Exotic plants that naturalize and may become a problem in the future; includes species that are or could become widespread in North Carolina. At this time, more information is needed.

• Watch List B: Exotic plant species that cause problems in adjacent states but have not yet been reported to cause problems in NC.

• Unranked: plants not on the NPS list, but on other lists. These plants are usually related to plants that are a severe threat (e.g. McCartney and Cherokee Rose are closely related to Multiflora Rose, a Rank 1 plant; Atlantic and Persian Ivy are related to English Ivy which is a Rank 1 plant.)

Noxious Weeds = plants on the federal orNC noxious weed lists.

USDA list = plants not in the NPS guide but still determined to be invasive by the US Department of Agriculture

NC-IPC list = plants not in the NPS guide but still determined to be invasive by the NC Invasive Plant Council.

Other Tags:
Aquatic
Trees
Shrubs
Vines
Ferns
Herbaceous Plants (not trees, shrubs or vines- includes flowers, and grasses)

Sources:

NC Native Plant Society: (http://www.ncwildflower.org/index.php/plant_galleries/invasives_list)

NCDOT guide
(http://www.se-eppc.org/northcarolina/NCDOT_Invasive_Exotic_Plants.pdf),

NC-Invasive Plant Council List (http://nc-ipc.weebly.com/nc-invasive-plants.html),

USDA list (http://www.forestpests.org/pdf/A%20Field%20Guide%20for%20the%20Identification%20of%20Invasive%20Plants%20in%20Southern%20Forests.pdf) less ↑

Japanese Climbing Fern ¹
Lygodium japonicum

Climbing Maidenhair ²
Lygodium microphyllum

Giant Salvinia ³
Salvinia molesta

Bush Clover ⁴
Lespedeza bicolor

Sericea/Chinese Bushclover ⁵
Lespedeza cuneata

Thunberg's Lespedeza ⁶
Lespedeza thunbergii

Crown Vetch ⁷
Securigera varia

Korean Clover (Korean Lespedeza) ⁸
Kummerowia stipulacea

Japanese Clover ⁹
Kummerowia striata

Mimosa ¹⁰
Albizia julibrissin

Japanese Wisteria ¹¹
Wisteria floribunda

Chinese Wisteria ¹²
Wisteria sinensis

Common Vetch ¹³
Vicia sativa

White sweetclover ¹⁴
Melilotus albus

Yellow Sweet Clover ¹⁵
Melilotus officinalis

Kudzu ¹⁶
Pueraria montana

Jetbead ¹⁷
Rhodotypos scandens

Wineberry ¹⁸
Rubus phoenicolasius

Japanese Spiraea ¹⁹
Spiraea japonica var. fortunei

Macartney's Rose ²⁰
Rosa bracteata

Cherokee Rose ²¹
Rosa laevigata

Multiflora Rose ²²
Rosa multiflora

Callery Pear/Bradford Pear ²³
Pyrus calleryana

Glossy Buckthorn ²⁴
Frangula alnus

Paper Mulberry ²⁵
Broussonetia papyrifera

Hairy Crabweed ²⁶
Fatoua villosa

White Mulberry ²⁷
Morus alba

New Zealand Pygmyweed ²⁸
Crassula helmsii

Japanese hop ²⁹
Humulus japonicus

Russian Olive ³⁰
Elaeagnus angustifolia

Thorny Olive ³¹
Elaeagnus pungens

Autumn Olive ³²
Elaeagnus umbellata

Creeping-Jenny ²⁸
Lysimachia nummularia

Bigleaf Periwinkle ³³
Vinca major

Lesser Periwinkle ³⁴
Vinca minor

Oriental Lady's Thumb ³⁵
Persicaria longiseta

Redshank (Lady's Thumb) ²⁴
Persicaria maculosa

Mile-a-minute-weed ³⁶
Persicaria perfoliata

Japanese Knotweed ³⁷
Reynoutria japonica (fallopia japonica)

Common Chickweed ³⁸
Stellaria media

Saltcedar ³⁹
Tamarix ramosissima

Alligator Weed ⁴⁰
Alternanthera philoxeroides

Winged Euonymus ⁴¹
Euonymus alatus

Winter Creeper ⁴²
Euonymus fortunei

Oriental Bittersweet ⁴³
Celastrus orbiculatus

Oriental false hawksbeard ⁴⁴
Youngia japonica

Cornflower ⁴⁵
Centaurea cyanus

Spotted Knapweed ³⁹
Centaurea stoebe

Chicory ⁴⁶
Cichorium intybus

Field Thistle ⁴⁷
Cirsium arvense

Bull Thistle ⁴⁸
Cirsium vulgare

Groundsel Tree ⁴⁹
Baccharis halimifolia

Mugwort ⁵⁰
Artemisia vulgaris

Broad-winged Thistle ⁵¹
Carduus acanthoides

Musk Thistle ⁵²
Carduus nutans

Yellow Salsify ⁵³
Tragopogon dubius

Coltsfoot ⁵⁴
Tussilago farfara

Spiny Cocklebur ²¹
Xanthium spinosum

Rough Cocklebur ²⁷
Xanthium strumarium

Ragwort ²⁸
Jacobaea vulgaris

Crested Floating Heart ⁵⁵
Nymphoides cristata

Trifoliate Orange ⁵⁶
Poncirus trifoliata

Chinaberry ⁵⁷
Melia azedarach

Tree of Heaven ⁵⁸
Ailanthus altissima

Norway Maple ⁵⁹
Acer platanoides

Balloon Vine ⁶⁰
Cardiospermum halicacabum

Water Chestnut ⁶¹
Trapa natans

Creeping Water Primrose ⁶²
Ludwigia grandiflora

Purple Loosestrife ⁶³
Lythrum salicaria

Sawtooth Oak ⁶⁴
Quercus acutissima

Corn Gromwell ⁶⁵
Buglossoides arvensis

Viper's-Bugloss ⁶⁶
Echium vulgare

Princess Tree ⁶⁷
Paulownia tomentosa

Great Mullein ⁶⁸
Verbascum thapsus

Butterfly Bush ⁶⁹
Buddleja davidii

common broomrape ⁷⁰
Orobanche minor

Japanese Privet ⁷¹
Ligustrum japonicum

Glossy Privet ²
Ligustrum lucidum

Border Privet ²⁷
Ligustrum obtusifolium

Garden Privet (California Privet) ⁷²
Ligustrum ovalifolium

Chinese Privet ⁷³
Ligustrum sinense

Common Privet ⁷⁴
Ligustrum vulgare

Beefsteak Plant ¹⁶
Perilla frutescens frutescens

Florida Betony ⁷⁵
Stachys floridana

Ground Ivy ⁷⁶
Glechoma hederacea

Carpet Bugle ²⁸
Ajuga reptans

Beach Vitex ¹¹
Vitex rotundifolia

Ivy-leaved Speedwell ⁷⁷
Veronica hederifolia

Lesser Celandine ¹⁵
Ficaria verna

Autumn Clematis ⁷⁸
Clematis terniflora

Heavenly Bamboo ⁷⁹
Nandina domestica

Thunberg's Barberry ⁸⁰
Berberis thunbergii

Mahonia ⁸¹
Mahonia bealei

Five-leaf Akebia ⁴
Akebia quinata

Bittersweet Nightshade ⁸²
Solanum dulcamara

Tropical Soda-Apple ⁸³
Solanum viarum

Cypress Vine ²
Ipomoea quamoclit

Winter Honeysuckle ⁸⁴
Lonicera fragrantissima

Japanese Honeysuckle ⁸⁵
Lonicera japonica

Bush Honeysuckle ⁵⁶
Lonicera maackii

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Invasive Exotic Plants of North Carolina

Japanese Climbing Fern 1 Lygodium japonicum

Climbing Maidenhair 2 Lygodium microphyllum

Giant Salvinia 3 Salvinia molesta

Bush Clover 4 Lespedeza bicolor

Sericea/Chinese Bushclover 5 Lespedeza cuneata

Thunberg's Lespedeza 6 Lespedeza thunbergii

Crown Vetch 7 Securigera varia

Korean Clover (Korean Lespedeza) 8 Kummerowia stipulacea

Japanese Clover 9 Kummerowia striata

Mimosa 10 Albizia julibrissin

Japanese Wisteria 11 Wisteria floribunda

Chinese Wisteria 12 Wisteria sinensis

Common Vetch 13 Vicia sativa

White sweetclover 14 Melilotus albus

Yellow Sweet Clover 15 Melilotus officinalis

Kudzu 16 Pueraria montana

Jetbead 17 Rhodotypos scandens

Wineberry 18 Rubus phoenicolasius

Japanese Spiraea 19 Spiraea japonica var. fortunei

Macartney's Rose 20 Rosa bracteata

Cherokee Rose 21 Rosa laevigata

Multiflora Rose 22 Rosa multiflora

Callery Pear/Bradford Pear 23 Pyrus calleryana

Glossy Buckthorn 24 Frangula alnus

Paper Mulberry 25 Broussonetia papyrifera

Hairy Crabweed 26 Fatoua villosa

White Mulberry 27 Morus alba

New Zealand Pygmyweed 28 Crassula helmsii

Japanese hop 29 Humulus japonicus

Russian Olive 30 Elaeagnus angustifolia

Thorny Olive 31 Elaeagnus pungens

Autumn Olive 32 Elaeagnus umbellata

Creeping-Jenny 28 Lysimachia nummularia

Bigleaf Periwinkle 33 Vinca major

Lesser Periwinkle 34 Vinca minor

Oriental Lady's Thumb 35 Persicaria longiseta

Redshank (Lady's Thumb) 24 Persicaria maculosa

Mile-a-minute-weed 36 Persicaria perfoliata

Japanese Knotweed 37 Reynoutria japonica (fallopia japonica)

Common Chickweed 38 Stellaria media

Saltcedar 39 Tamarix ramosissima

Alligator Weed 40 Alternanthera philoxeroides

Winged Euonymus 41 Euonymus alatus

Winter Creeper 42 Euonymus fortunei

Oriental Bittersweet 43 Celastrus orbiculatus

Oriental false hawksbeard 44 Youngia japonica

Cornflower 45 Centaurea cyanus

Spotted Knapweed 39 Centaurea stoebe

Chicory 46 Cichorium intybus

Field Thistle 47 Cirsium arvense

Bull Thistle 48 Cirsium vulgare

Groundsel Tree 49 Baccharis halimifolia

Mugwort 50 Artemisia vulgaris

Broad-winged Thistle 51 Carduus acanthoides

Musk Thistle 52 Carduus nutans

Yellow Salsify 53 Tragopogon dubius

Coltsfoot 54 Tussilago farfara

Spiny Cocklebur 21 Xanthium spinosum

Rough Cocklebur 27 Xanthium strumarium

Ragwort 28 Jacobaea vulgaris

Crested Floating Heart 55 Nymphoides cristata

Trifoliate Orange 56 Poncirus trifoliata

Chinaberry 57 Melia azedarach

Tree of Heaven 58 Ailanthus altissima

Norway Maple 59 Acer platanoides

Balloon Vine 60 Cardiospermum halicacabum

Water Chestnut 61 Trapa natans

Creeping Water Primrose 62 Ludwigia grandiflora

Purple Loosestrife 63 Lythrum salicaria

Sawtooth Oak 64 Quercus acutissima

Corn Gromwell 65 Buglossoides arvensis

Viper's-Bugloss 66 Echium vulgare

Princess Tree 67 Paulownia tomentosa

Great Mullein 68 Verbascum thapsus

Butterfly Bush 69 Buddleja davidii

common broomrape 70 Orobanche minor

Japanese Privet 71 Ligustrum japonicum

Glossy Privet 2 Ligustrum lucidum

Border Privet 27 Ligustrum obtusifolium