List of Invasive Exotic Pest Plants in Tennessee

From Bugwoodwiki

Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council (SE-EPPC). 2003. Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council Invasive Plant Manual.

Severe Threat (Rank 1) - exotic plant species which possess characteristics of invasive species, spread easily into native plant communities, and displace native vegetation. Includes species which are or could become widespread in Tennessee.

Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle - tree-of-heaven

Alliaria petiolata (M. Bieb.) Cavara & Grande - garlic mustard

Arthraxon hispidus (Thunb.) Makino - hairy jointgrass

Carduus nutans L. - musk thistle, nodding thistle

Elaeagnus umbellata Thunb. - autumn olive

Euonymus fortunei (Turcz.) Hand.- Maz. - climbing euonymous

Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle - hydrilla

Lespedeza cuneata (Dum. Cours.) G. Don - sericea lespedeza

Ligustrum sinense Lour. - privet

Ligustrum vulgare L. - common privet

Lonicera japonica Thunb. - Japanese honeysuckle

Lonicera maackii (Rupr.) Maxim. - Amur bush honeysuckle

*Lonicera morrowii A. Gray - Morrow's bush honeysuckle

Lythrum salicaria L. [all varieties and cultivars] - purple loosestrife

Microstegium vimineum (Trin.) A. Camus - Nepalgrass, Japanese grass

Myriophyllum spicatum L. - Eurasian water-milfoil

Paulownia tomentosa (Thunb.) Sieb. & Zucc. ex Steud. - Princess tree

**Phalaris arundinacea L. - canary grass

**Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. - common reed

Polygonum cuspidatum Seib. & Zucc. - Japanese knotweed, Japanese bamboo

Pueraria montana (Willd.) Ohwi - kudzu

Rosa multiflora Thunb. ex Murray - multiflora rose

Solanum viarum Dunal - tropical soda apple

Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. - Johnson grass

Significant Threat (Rank 2) - exotic plant species which possess some invasive characteristics, but have less impact on native plant communities. These plants may have the capacity to invade natural communities along disturbance corridors, or to spread from stands in disturbed sites into undisturbed areas, but have fewer characteristics of invasive species than Rank 1 above.

Albizia julibrissin Durazz. - mimosa

Allium vineale L. - field garlic

Alternathera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griesb. - alligatorweed

Artemisia vulgaris L. - mugwort

Arundo donax L. - giant reed, elephant grass

Berberis thunbergii DC. - Japanese barberry

Bromus inermis Leyss. - Hungarian bromegrass

Bromus japonicus Thunb. ex Murray - Japanese bromegrass

Bromus secalinus L. - bromegrass

Bromus tectorum L. - thatch bromegrass

Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb. - Oriental bittersweet

Centaurea maculosa Lam. - spotted knapweed

Chrysanthemum leucanthemum L.- ox-eye daisy

Cirsium arvense L. (Scop.) - Canada thistle

Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten. - bull thistle

Clematis terniflora DC. - leatherleaf clematis

Coronilla varia L. - crown vetch

Dioscorea batatas Decne. - air-potato

*Dipsacus fullonum L. - Fuller's teasel

Egeria densa Planch. - Brazilian elodea

Elaeagnus pungens Thunb. - Russian olive

Euonymus atropurpureus (Thunb.) Seib. - burning bush

Festuca elatior Huds. - tall fescue

Hedera helix L. - English ivy

Hesperis matronalis L. - dame's rocket

Lespedeza bicolor Turcz. - bicolor lespedeza

Lonicera fragrantissima Lindl. & Paxton - January jasmine

Ludwigia uruguayensis (Camb.) H. Hara - hairy water-primrose

Lysimachia nummularia L. - moneywort

Melilotus alba Medik. - white sweet clover

Melilotus officinalis (L.) Lam. - yellow sweet clover

Miscanthus sinensis Anderss. - zebra grass

Mosla dianthera (Buch. Ham. ex Roxb.) Maxim. - miniature beefsteak

Murdannia keisak (Hassk.) Hand.-Maz. - Asian spiderwort

Myriophyllum aquaticum (Vell.) Verdc. - parrotfeather, watermilfoil

Nasturtium officinale R.Br. - watercress

Polygonum caespitosum Blume - bunchy knotweed

*Polygonum sachalinense F. Schmidt ex Maxim.

Potamogeton crispus L. - curly pondweed

Setaria pumila (Poir.) Roem. & Schult. - smooth millet

Setaria viridis (L.) P. Beauv. - green millet

Spiraea japonica L.f. - Japanese spiraea

Torilis arvensis (Huds.) Link - hedge-parsley

Tribulus terrestris L. - puncturevine

Tussilago farfara L. - coltsfoot

Verbascum thapsus L. - common mullein

Vinca major L. - large periwinkle

Vinca minor L. - common periwinkle

Wisteria floribunda (Willd.) DC. - wistera

Wistera sinensis (Sims) Sweet - Chinese wisteria

Lesser Threat (Rank 3) - exotic plant species which seem to principally spread and remain in disturbed areas, but do not readily invade natural areas. This list also includes some agronomic weeds.

Bromus catharticus Vahl - bromegrass

Bromus commutatus Schrad. - bromegrass

Bromus hordeaceus L. - bromegrass

Bromus sterilis L. - bromegrass

Broussonetia papyrifera (L'Her. ex Vent.) - paper mulberry

Bupleurum rotundifolium L. - hound's-ear

Cardiospermum halicacabum L. - balloonvine

Centaurea cyanus L. - bachelor's button

Cichorium intybus L. - chicory

Conium maculatum L. - poison hemlock

Cosmos bipinnatus Cav. - cosmos

Cosmos sulphureus Cav. - cosmos

Daucus carota L. - wild carrot, Queen Anne's-lace

Eschscholtzia californica Cham. - California poppy

Euphorbia humistrata Engelm. ex A. Gray - spreading spurge

Fatoua villosa (Thunb.) Nakai - hairy crabweed

Hibiscus syriacus L. - rose of Sharon

Kummerowia stipulacea (Maxim.) Makino - Korean clover

Kummerowia striata (Thunb.) Schlindl. - Japanese clover

Lithospermum arvense (L.) I.M. Johnson - corn gromwell

Macleaya cordata (Willd.) R. Br. - plume-poppy, tree celandine

Melia azedarach L. - Chinaberry

Mentha spicata L. - spearmint

Mentha X piperita L. - peppermint

Muscari neglectum Boiss. & Reut. - grape hyacinth

Muscari botryoides (L.) Mill. - grape hyacinth

*Muscari comosum (L.) Mill

Ornithogalum umbellatum L. - star of Bethlehem

Papaver dubium L. - poppy

Pastinaca sativa L. - parsnip

Phalaris canariensis L. - canary grass

Polygonum orientale L. - Prince's feather

Polygonum persicaria L. - lady's thumb

Populus alba L. - white poplar

Rubus phoenicolasius Maxim. - wineberry

Senecio vulgaris L. - ragwort

Senna obtusifolia (L.) H.S. Irwin & Barneby - sicklepod senna

Senna occidentalis (L.) Link - coffee senna

Setaria faberi Herrm. - nodding foxtail-grass

Setaria italica (L.) Beauv. - foxtail-millet

Solanum dulcamara L. - bittersweet

Stachys floridana Shuttlw. ex Benth. - hedge nettle

Tragopogon dubius Scop. - yellow goats-beard

Ulmus pumila L. - dwarf elm

Urtica dioica L. - stinging nettle

Xanthium spinosum L. - spiny cocklebur

Xanthium strumarium L. - common cocklebur

Watch List (may be a problem elsewhere; more information needed)

Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn. - sticky alder

Echium vulgare L. - viper's bugloss

Hypericum perforatum L. - goatweed, St. John's-wort

Najas minor All. - water nymph

Rhamnus frangula L. - alder buckthorn

* Listed by reason of similarity of appearance

** A native species, however, introduced "races" are invasive

Taxonomy and nomenclature taken from:

• Wofford, B. E.; Kral, R. Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Tennessee; 1993.
• Sida, Botanical Miscellany No. 10.
• Kartesz, J. T. A synomized checklist of vascular flora of the U. S., Canada, and Greenland. Second edition, Timber Press; 1994.

Invasive Exotic Pest Plants in Tennessee Research Committee of the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council June, 1996