Invasive Plants in Massachusetts

T H E C O M M O N W E A L T H  O F  M A S S A C H U S E T T S
E X E C U T I V E OF F I C E OF E N E R G Y AN D E N V I R O N M E N T A L AF F A I R S
Department of Agricultural Resources
251 Causeway Street, Suite 500, Boston, MA 02114
617-626-1700 fax: 617-626-1850 www.mass.gov/agr

The Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List
Following is a list of plants for which importation and propagation is currently prohibited within the state of
Massachusetts.
The original list of prohibited plants went into effect January 1, 2006. Certain species were subject to a
phase-out period that expired on January 1, 2009. Three new species were added in February 2017. As of
this date, the sale, trade, purchase, distribution and related activities for the species below, including all
cultivars, varieties and hybrids, are not allowed:

Common Name Scientific Name
aeginetia Aeginetia spp.
African boxthorn Lycium ferrocissimum
African couch grass Digitaria abyssinica; D. scalarum
African feathergrass Pennisetum macrourum
alectra Alectra spp.
alfombrilla Drymaria arenarioides
ambulia Limnophila sessiliflora
Amur cork-tree Phellodendron amurense
Amur honeysuckle Lonicera maackii
anchored water hyacinth Eichhornia azurea
animated oat Avena sterilis
Argentine screwbean Prosopis strombulifera
arrowhead Sagittaria sagittifolia
Asian sprangletop Leptochloa chinensis
autumn olive Elaeagnus umbellata
Bell’s honeysuckle Lonicera x bella [L. morrowii x L. tatarica]
Benghal dayflower Commelina benghalensis
Bishop’s weed; goutweed Aegopodium podagraria
black locust Robinia pseudoacacia
black swallow-wort; Louise’s swallow-wort Cynanchum louiseae
Border privet Ligustrum obtusifolium
borreria Spermacoce alata
Brazilian satintail Imperata brasiliensis
anacharis, Brazilian waterweed; Brazilian elodea Egeria densa; Elodea densa; Anacharis densa
brittle water-nymph; lesser naiad Najas minor
broad-leafed pepperweed; tall pepperweed Lepidium latifolium
broomrape Orobanche spp.
brownbeard rice; red rice Oryza rufipogon
burning bush; winged euonymus Euonymus alatus
bushy rock-cress; narrowleaf bittercress Cardamine impatiens
Cape tulip Homeria spp.; Morea spp.
Carolina Fanwort; fanwort Cabomba caroliniana
catclaw mimosa Mimosa pigra
cattail grass; yellow foxtail Setaria pallidifusca S. pallidefusca;S. pumila
caulerpa Caulerpa taxifolia
Mass. Dept. of Agricultural Resources, Mass. Prohibited Plants List Page 2 of 4
Common Name Scientific Name
Chinese waterspinach
[PERMIT REQUIRED – contact MDAR]
Ipomoea aquatica
[PERMIT REQUIRED – contact MDAR]
coat buttons Tridax procumbens
coltsfoot Tussilago farfara
common barberry; European barberry Berberis vulgaris
common buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica
common crupina Crupina vulgaris
common reed Phragmites australis
creeping buttercup Ranunculus repens
creeping Jenny; moneywort Lysimachia nummularia
crisped pondweed; curly pondweed Potamogeton crispus
crofton weed Ageratina adenophora
Cypress spurge Euphorbia cyparissias
Dames Rocket Hesperis matronalis
devil’s thorn Emex spinosa
dodder Cuscuta spp.
duck-lettuce Ottelia alismoides
Eurasian or European water-milfoil; Spike water-milfoil Myriophyllum spicatum
European buckthorn; glossy buckthorn Frangula alnus; Rhamnus frangula
exotic bur-reed Sparganium erectum
flowering rush Butomus umbellatus
forget-me-not Myosotis scorpioides
garlic mustard Alliaria petiolata
giant false sensitive plant; false sensitive plant Mimosa diplotricha; M. invisa
giant hogweed Heracleum mantegazzianum
giant salvinia; eared watermoss Salvinia auriculata
giant salvinia; kariba-weed Salvinia molesta
giant salvinia Salvinia biloba
giant salvinia Salvinia herzogii
goatsrue Galega officinalis
gray willow; rusty willow Salix cinerea
hair fescue; fineleaf sheep fescue Festuca filiformis
hairy joint grass; jointhead; small carpetgrass Arthraxon hispidus
hairy willow-herb; Codlins and Cream Epilobium hirsutum
horned poppy; sea poppy; yellow hornpoppy Glaucium flavum
hydrilla; water-thyme; Florida elodea Hydrilla verticillata
itchgrass Rottboellia cochinchinensis
Japanese Barberry Berberis thunbergii
Japanese honeysuckle Lonicera japonica
Japanese hops Humulus japonicus
Japanese knotweed Polygonum cuspidatum; Fallopia japonica
Japanese sedge; Asiatic sand sedge Carex kobomugi
Japanese stiltgrass; Nepalese browntop Microstegium vimineum
jointed prickly pear Opuntia aurantiaca
kiawe Prosopis pallida
kikuyugrass Pennisetum clandestinum
Kodo-millet Paspalum scrobiculatum
kudzu; Japanese arrowroot Pueraria montana
Kyasuma grass Pennisetum pedicellatum
large gray willow Salix atrocinerea; Salix cinerea ssp. oleifolia
leafy Spurge; Wolf’s Milk Euphorbia esula
lesser celandine; fig buttercup Ranunculus ficaria
Mass. Dept. of Agricultural Resources, Mass. Prohibited Plants List Page 3 of 4
Common Name Scientific Name
liverseed grass Urochloa panicoides
longstamen rice; red rice Oryza longistaminata
Malabar melastome Melastoma malabathricum
melaleuca Melaleuca quinquenervia
mile-a-minute vine or weed; Asiatic Tearthumb Polygonum perfoliatum
mile-a-minute; bittervine Mikania micrantha
mile-a-minute; heartleaf hempvine Mikania cordata
Miramar weed Hygrophila polysperma
missiongrass Pennisetum polystachyon; P. polystachion
monochoria Monochoria hastata
Morrow’s honeysuckle Lonicera morrowii
mosquito fern Azolla pinnata
multiflora rose Rosa multiflora
murain-grass Ischaemum rugosum
Norway maple Acer platanoides
onion weed Asphodelus fistulosus
Oriental or Asiatic bittersweet Celastrus orbiculatus
oxygen weed Lagarosiphon major
pale swallow-wort Cynanchum rossicum
parrot-feather; water-feather; Brazilian water-milfoil Myriophyllum aquaticum
pickerel weed Monochoria vaginalis
pilipiliula Chrysopogon aciculatus
plume grass; Amur silvergrass Miscanthus sacchariflorus (also covers Miscanthus
x giganteus, a hybrid of M. sacchariflorus and M.
sinensis)
porcelain-berry; Amur peppervine Ampelopsis brevipedunculata
purple loosestrife Lythrum salicaria
red rice Oryza punctata
reed canary-grass; ribbon grass Phalaris arundinacea
serrated tussock Nassella trichotoma
sessile joyweed Alternanthera sessilis
spotted knapweed Centaurea biebersteinii; C. stoebe ssp. micranthos
sycamore maple Acer pseudoplatanus
tall mannagrass; reed mannagrass Glyceria maxima
tansy ragwort; stinking Willie Senecio jacobaea
Tatarian honeysuckle Lonicera tatarica
three-cornered jack Emex australis
tornillo Prosopis reptans
tree of heaven Ailanthus altissima
tropical soda apple Solanum viarum
turkeyberry Solanum torvum
variable water-milfoil; two-leaved water-milfoil Myriophyllum heterophyllum
velvet fingergrass Digitaria velutina
velvet mesquite Prosopis velutina
water yellowcress; great yellowcress Rorippa amphibia
water-chestnut Trapa natans
wetland nightshade Solanum tampicense
wild blackberry complex Rubus fruticosus
wild blackberry Rubus moluccanus
wild chervil Anthriscus sylvestris
wild safflower; jeweled distaff thistle Carthamus oxyacanthus; C. oxycantha
wild sugarcane Saccharum spontaneum
wineberry; Japanese wineberry; wine raspberry Rubus phoenicolasius
Mass. Dept. of Agricultural Resources, Mass. Prohibited Plants List Page 4 of 4
Common Name Scientific Name
witchweed Striga spp.
wormleaf salsola Salsola vermiculata
yellow floating heart Nymphoides peltata
yellow Iris Iris pseudacorus
On the web: https://www.mass.gov/massachusetts-prohibited-plant-list Updated 11/2017
Contact: Jennifer Forman Orth, Environmental Biologist, Jennifer.Forman-Orth@state.ma.us – 617-626-173