Virginia Invasive Plant Species List

REGION

Virginia Invasiveness

Scientific Name Common Name Rank Mountain Piedmont Coastal Ailanthus altissima Tree-of-heaven High • • • Alliaria petiolata Garlic Mustard High • • • Alternanthera philoxeroides Alligator-weed High • Tree-of-heaven Ampelopsis brevipedunculata Porcelain-berry High • • Carex kobomugi Japanese Sand Sedge High • Celastrus orbiculatus Oriental Bittersweet High • • • Centaurea stoebe ssp. micranthos Spotted Knapweed High • • • Cirsium arvense Canada Thistle High • • • Dioscorea polystachya Cinnamon Vine High • • • Elaeagnus umbellata Autumn Olive High • • • Euonymus alatus Winged Euonymus High • • Ficaria verna Lesser Celandine High • • Phragmites Hydrilla verticillata Hydrilla High • • • Iris pseudacorus Yellow Flag High • • • Lespedeza cuneata Chinese Lespedeza High • • • Ligustrum sinense Chinese Privet High • • • Lonicera japonica Japanese Honeysuckle High • • • Lonicera maackii Amur Honeysuckle High • • • Lonicera morrowii Morrow's Honeysuckle High • • Lythrum salicaria Purple Loosestrife High • • • Microstegium vimineum Japanese Stiltgrass High • • • Wavyleaf Grass Murdannia keisak Marsh Dewflower High • • • Myriophyllum aquaticum Parrot Feather High • • • The Virginia Invasive Plant Species List comprises species that are established Myriophyllum spicatum Eurasian Water-milfoil High • • • — or may become established — in Persicaria perfoliata Mile-a-minute High • • • Virginia, cause economic and ecological Phragmites australis ssp. australis Common Reed High • • • harm, and present ongoing manage- Pueraria montana var. lobata Kudzu High • • • ment issues. Reynoutria japonica Japanese Knotweed High • • • The list is for educational purposes only Rosa multiflora Multiflora Rose High • • • and has no regulatory authority. Rubus phoenicolasius Wineberry High • • • Sorghum halepense Johnson Grass High • • • To be included on the list, there must Urtica dioica European Stinging Nettle High • • • be demonstrable evidence that a species Acer platanoides Norway Maple Medium • • • poses a threat to Virginia’s forests, native grasslands, wetlands or waterways. Agrostis capillaris Colonial Bent-grass Medium • • • Akebia quinata Five-leaf Akebia Medium • • The Virginia Department of Conservation Albizia julibrissin Mimosa Medium • • • and Recreation’s Invasive Species Arthraxon hispidus var. hispidus Joint Head Grass Medium • • • Assessment Protocol, approved by the Berberis thunbergii Japanese Barberry Medium • • • Virginia Invasive Species Working Group, May 2015, was used to conduct a risk Cirsium vulgare Bull Thistle Medium • • • assessment for each listed species. Dipsacus fullonum Wild Teasel Medium • • • Species were ranked as exhibiting high, Egeria densa Brazilian Waterweed Medium • • • medium or low levels of invasiveness Euonymus fortunei Winter Creeper Medium • • • based on their threat to natural communi- Glechoma hederacea Gill-over-the-ground Medium • • • ties and native species. Hedera helix English Ivy Medium • • www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural_heritage/invspinfo.shtml continued Invasiveness rank is higher for REGION species that: Virginia • Alter ecosystem processes, such as Invasiveness

Scientific Name Common Name Rank Mountain Piedmont Coastal succession, hydrology or fire regime. • Are capable of invading undisturbed Holcus lanatus Common Velvet Grass Medium • • • natural communities. Humulus japonicus Japanese Hops Medium • • • • Cause substantial impacts on rare or Ligustrum obtusifolium var. obtusifolium Border Privet Medium • • • vulnerable species or natural commu- Lonicera tatarica Tartarian Honeysuckle Medium • • nities or high-quality examples of Lysimachia nummularia Moneywort Medium • • • more common communities. Miscanthus sinensis Chinese Silvergrass Medium • • • • Are found widely distributed and Najas minor Brittle Naiad Medium • • • generally abundant where present. Paulownia tomentosa Royal Paulowina Medium • • • • Disperse readily to new areas. Persicaria longiseta Long-bristled Smartweed Medium • • • • Are difficult to control. Phyllostachys aurea Golden Bamboo Medium • • • Early detection species Poa compressa Flat-stemmed Bluegrass Medium • • • The list includes a subcategory of Poa trivialis Rough Bluegrass Medium • • • invasive plants that are considered early Pyrus calleryana Callery Pear Medium • • • detection species. These are species not Rhodotypos scandens Jetbead Medium • • • yet established or, if established, are not Rumex acetosella Sheep sorrel Medium • • • yet widespread in Virginia but known to Spiraea japonica Japanese Spiraea Medium • • be highly invasive in habitats similar to Stellaria media Common Chickweed Medium • • • those found here. If discovered in Virginia, these species need to be quickly mapped, Veronica hederifolia Ivy-leaved Speedwell Medium • • • photographed and reported to DCR. Viburnum dilatatum Linden arrow-wood Medium • The management goal for early detection Wisteria sinensis Chinese Wisteria Medium • • • species is eradication, as preventing Commelina communis Asiatic Dayflower Low • • • the establishment and spread of newly Elaeagnus pungens Thorny Olive Low • • • arrived species will save valuable natural Lespedeza bicolor Shrubby Bushclover Low • • • and economic resources. Lonicera fragrantissima Winter Honeysuckle Low • • • Melia azedarach Chinaberry Low • • INFORMATION Morus alba White Mulberry Low • • • Perilla frutescens Beefsteak Plant Low • • • For more information, or to report Phleum pratense Timothy Low • • • early detection species, contact Stewardship Biologist Kevin Populus alba Silver Poplar Low • • • Heffernan with the Virginia Rumex crispus ssp. crispus Curly Dock Low • • • Department of Conservation and Securigera varia Crown-vetch Low • • • Recreation at 804-786-9112 or Trapa natans European Water Chestnut Low • [email protected] Ulmus pumila Siberian Elm Low • • Vinca major Greater Periwinkle Low • • • Photo credits: Vinca minor Periwinkle Low • • • Tree-of-heaven, Chuck Bargeron, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org. Phragmites, Wisteria floribunda Japanese Wisteria Low • • Jil M. Swearingen, USDI National Park Service, EARLY DETECTION SPECIES - not yet widely established in Virginia Bugwood.org. Wavyleaf grass, Kerrie L. Kyde, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Aldrovanda vesiculosa Waterwheel High • Bugwood.org. Eichhornia crassipes Water Hyacinth High • Citation: Imperata cylindrica Cogon Grass High • Heffernan, K., E. Engle, C. Richardson. 2014. Virginia Invasive Plant Species List. Virginia Ludwigia grandiflora ssp. hexapetala Large Flower Primrose Willow High • • • Department of Conservation and Recreation, Oplismenus hirtellus ssp. undulatifolius Wavyleaf Grass High • • Division of Natural Heritage. Natural Heritage Technical Document 14-11. Richmond. Vitex rotundifolia Beach Vitex High • Heracleum mantegazzianum Giant Hogweed Medium • • Ipomoea aquatica Water Spinach Medium • • • Salvinia molesta Giant Salvinia Medium • • • Solanum viarum Tropical Soda Apple Medium • • www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural_heritage/invspinfo.shtml