Invasive Plants
Invasive Plant Definition: Invasive species is defined as any species, including its seeds, spores or other biological material capable of propagating that species, that is not native to that ecosystem; and whose introduction does or is likely to cause environmental harm.
Political boundaries are not used when determining a species nativity. Instead, a species is defined as being exotic when it is not native to a particular ecosystem, making it possible to have a species that is native to parts of Georgia, but considered invasive in others. For this list, we will not include species that are native to any part of Georgia. Go Here for more information.
Plant List
Exotic plants that are a serious problem in Georgia natural areas by extensively invading native plant communities and displacing native species.
| Scientific Name | Common Name |
|---|---|
| Ailanthus altissima | tree-of-heaven |
| Albizia julibrissin | mimosa |
| Alternanthera philoxeroides | alligatorweed |
| Dryopteris erythrosora | autumn fern |
| Eichhornia crassipes | common water hyacinth |
| Elaeagnus umbellata | autumn olive |
| Hedera helix | English ivy |
| Hydrilla verticillata | hydrilla |
| Lespedeza bicolor | shrubby lespedeza |
| Lespedeza cuneata | sericea lespedeza |
| Ligustrum sinense | Chinese privet |
| Lonicera japonica | Japanese honeysuckle |
| Lygodium japonicum | Japanese climbing fern |
| Melia azedarach | chinaberry |
| Microstegium vimineum | Japanese stiltgrass |
| Murdannia keisak | marsh dayflower |
| Paulownia tomentosa | princesstree |
| Pueraria montana var. lobata | kudzu |
| Rosa multiflora | multiflora rose |
| Triadica sebifera | Chinese tallowtree |
| Wisteria sinensis | Chinese Wisteria |
| Ardisia crenata | coral ardisia |
| Cinnamomum camphora | camphortree |
| Crotalaria lanceolata | lanceleaf crotalaria |
| Crotalaria pallida | smooth crotalaria |
| Crotalaria spectabilis | showy rattlebox |
| Cynodon dactylon | bermudagrass |
| Dioscorea polystachya | Chinese yam |
| Egeria densa | Brazilian waterweed |
| Elaeagnus pungens | thorny olive |
| Leucanthemum vulgare | oxeye daisy |
| Ligustrum lucidum | glossy privet |
| Lonicera maackii | Amur honeysuckle |
| Miscanthus sinensis | Chinese silvergrass |
| Myriophyllum aquaticum | parrotfeather |
| Nandina domestica | Nandina, sacred bamboo |
| Nasturtium officinale | watercress |
| Paspalum notatum | bahiagrass |
| Phyllostachys aurea | golden bamboo |
| Salvinia minima | waterfern/common salvinia |
| Salvinia molesta | giant salvinia |
| Sesbania punicea | red sesbania |
| Spiraea japonica | Japanese spiraea |
| Tamarix gallica | French tamarisk |
| Vinca major | big periwinkle |
| Vinca minor | common periwinkle |
| Vitex rotundifolia | beach vitex |
| Ajuga reptans | carpet bugle |
| Alternanthera sessilis | sessile joyweed |
| Ampelopsis glandulosa var. brevipedunculata | porcelain-berry |
| Anthoxanthum odoratum | sweet vernalgrass |
| Arundo donax | giant reed |
| Berberis thunbergii | Japanese barberry |
| Broussonetia papyrifera | paper-mulberry |
| Carduus nutans | musk thistle, nodding thistle |
| Centaurea cyanus | cornflower |
| Citrus trifoliata | trifoliate orange |
| Clematis terniflora | sweet autumn virginsbower |
| Colocasia esculenta | coco yam, wild taro |
| Daucus carota | Queen Anne's lace, wild carrot |
| Dioscorea alata | winged yam |
| Dioscorea bulbifera | air-potato |
| Eragrostis curvula | weeping lovegrass |
| Euonymus fortunei | winter creeper |
| Festuca arundinacea | tall fescue |
| Hemerocallis fulva | tawny daylily |
| Hibiscus syriacus | rose of Sharon |
| Lantana camara | largeleaf lantana |
| Lespedeza thunbergii | Thunberg lespedeza |
| Ligustrum japonicum | Japanese privet |
| Limnophila sessiliflora | limnophila |
| Liriope muscari | monkeygrass |
| Lonicera fragrantissima | sweet breath of spring |
| Mahonia bealei | leatherleaf mahonia |
| Marsilea minuta | dwarf waterclover |
| Melinis repens | natalgrass |
| Mentha x piperita | peppermint |
| Morus alba | white mulberry |
| Mosla dianthera | miniature beefsteakplant |
| Myriophyllum spicatum | Eurasian watermilfoil |
| Panicum repens | torpedograss |
| Paspalum urvillei | vaseygrass |
| Perilla frutescens | perilla mint/beefsteak plant |
| Persicaria maculosa | ladysthumb |
| Phragmites australis | common reed |
| Poa annua | annual bluegrass |
| Potamogeton crispus | curly leaf pondweed |
| Pyrus calleryana | Callery pear (Bradford pear) |
| Rottboellia cochinchinensis | itchgrass |
| Rubus armeniacus | Himalayan blackberry |
| Securigera varia | purple crown-vetch |
| Solanum viarum | tropical soda apple |
| Sorghum halepense | johnsongrass |
| Vernicia fordii | tungoil tree |
| Akebia quinata | chocolate vine |
| Allium vineale | wild garlic |
| Alysicarpus vaginalis | alyceclover |
| Artemisia vulgaris | mugwort |
| Bidens pilosa | hairy beggarticks |
| Bromus secalinus | rye brome |
| Bromus tectorum | cheatgrass, downy brome |
| Cirsium vulgare | bull thistle |
| Commelina benghalensis | Benghal dayflower |
| Cytisus scoparius | Scotch broom |
| Euonymus alatus | winged burning bush |
| Fatoua villosa | mulberryweed |
| Firmiana simplex | Chinese parasoltree |
| Ilex cornuta | Chinese holly |
| Ilex crenata | Japanese holly |
| Indigofera hirsuta | hairy indigo |
| Ipomoea coccinea | red morning-glory |
| Ipomoea purpurea | tall morning-glory |
| Jacquemontia tamnifolia | smallflower morningglory |
| Kummerowia stipulacea | Korean lespedeza |
| Kummerowia striata | Japanese clover |
| Liriope spicata | creeping liriope |
| Najas minor | brittleleaf naiad |
| Orobanche minor | small broomrape |
| Paspalum quadrifarium | tussock paspalum |
| Persicaria longiseta | Oriental lady's thumb |
| Pyracantha coccinea | scarlet firethorn |
| Quercus acutissima | sawtooth oak |
| Reynoutria sachalinensis | giant knotweed |
| Rosa laevigata | Cherokee rose |
| Rubus phoenicolasius | wine raspberry |
| Setaria faberi | giant foxtail |
| Setaria pumila | yellow foxtail |
| Setaria viridis var. viridis | green bristlegrass |
| Sonchus asper | spiny sowthistle |
| Sonchus oleraceus | annual sowthistle |
| Torilis arvensis | spreading hedgeparsley |
| Verbascum | common mullein |
| Verbena bonariensis | tall vervain |
| Verbena incompta | purpletop/Brazilian vervain |
| Wisteria floribunda | Japanese wisteria |
| Buddleja davidii | butterfly bush |
Species of Concern
A species that is not yet found in great numbers in Georgia natural areas but is known to have caused significant damages in other states, and poses a significant risk to Georgia.
| Scientific Name | Common Name |
|---|---|
| Alliaria petiolata | garlic mustard |
| Achyranthes japonica | Japanese chaff flower |
| Arthraxon hispidus | small carpetgrass |
| Celastrus orbiculatus | round leaf bittersweet |
| Imperata cylindrica | cogongrass |
| Lygodium microphyllum | old world climbing fern |
| Paederia foetida | skunk-vine |
| Reynoutria japonica | Japanese knotweed |
| Schinus terebinthifolia | Brazilian peppertree |