Invasive plants covered by legislation
There are a number of different regulations at both national and European level in place to help protect our environment from invasive non-native plants.
In Scotland the Wildlife and Natural Environment Act (Scotland) 2011 is now in force making it illegal to plant any non-native plant in the wild in Scotland.
Elsewhere in the UK it is an offence to plant or cause to grow in the wild plants listed on Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981). In April 2014 a ban on sale of five of the worst invasive water plants in the UK came into force (see list below).
EU Regulation on Invasive Alien Species lists 36 plants. This legislation still applies in the UK. These plants should not be planted or caused to grow in the wild but in addition are banned from sale and gardeners possessing them should undertake measures to control them (see Control).
Below is a list of invasive non-native plants covered by regulation:
Key
EU – applies across EU, including the UK and Republic of Ireland: it is an offence to plant or cause these to grow in the wild. These are also banned from sale and gardeners possessing them should undertake measures to control them
EW – applies in England and Wales: it is an offence to plant or cause these to grow in the wild
NI – applies in Northern Ireland: it is an offence to plant or cause these to grow in the wild
RI – applies in the Republic of Ireland: it is an offence to plant or cause these to grow in the wild
Acacia saligna (golden wreath wattle) EU
Acaena spp. (pirri-pirri bur) NI
Ailanthus altissima (tree of heaven) EU
Allium paradoxum (few-flowered leek) EW, NI, RI
Allium triquetrum (three-cornered garlic) EW, RI
Alternanthera philoxeroides (alligator weed) EU
Andropogon virginicus (broomsedge) EU
Aponogeton distachyos (Cape pondweed) RI
Arundo donax (giant reed) NI
Asclepias syriaca (milkweed) EU
Azolla filiculoides (water fern) EW, NI, RI, Banned from sale in UK since 2014
Baccharis halmifolia (tree groundsel) EU
Cabomba caroliniana (Carolina fanwort, water shield) EU
Cardiospermum grandiflorum (balloon vine) EU
Carpobrotus edulis (Hottentot fig) EW, NI, RI
Cortaderia jubata (purple pampas grass) EU
Cotoneaster bullatus (cotoneaster, hollyberry) EW
Cotoneaster horizontalis (cotoneaster) EW
Cotoneaster integrifolius (entire-leaved cotoneaster) EW
Cotoneaster microphyllus (small-leaved cotoneaster) EW
Cotoneaster simonsii (Himalayan cotoneaster) EW
Crassula helmsii (Australian swamp stonecrop, New Zealand pygmyweed) EW, NI, RI, Banned from sale in UK since 2014
Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora (montbretia) EW
Diphysma crassifolium (purple dewplant) EW
Egeria densa (large flowered waterweed) NI, RI
Ehrharta calycina (purple veldgrass) EU
Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth) EU
Elodea nuttallii (Nuttall’s water weed) EU
Elodea spp. (waterweeds) EW, NI, RI
Fallopia japonica (Japanese knotweed) EW, NI, RI
Fallopia japonica × Fallopia sachalinensis [F. × bohemica] (hybrid knotweed) EW, NI, RI
Fallopia sachalinensis (giant knotweed) EW, NI, RI
Gunnera manicata (Brazilian giant rhubarb) RI
Gunnera tinctoria (giant rhubarb) EU
Gymnocoronis spilanthoides (Senegal tea) EU
Hippophae rhamnoides (sea buckthorn) NI, RI
Hyacinthoides hispanica (Spanish bluebell) NI, RI
Hydrocotyle ranunculoides (floating pennywort) EW, NI, RI, Banned from sale in UK since 2014
Heracleum mantegazzianum (giant hogweed) EU
Heracleum persicum (giant hogweed, Tromsø palm) EU
Heracleum sosnowskyi (giant hogweed) EU
Humulus scandens (Japanese hop) EU
Hydrocotyle ranunculoides (floating pennywort) EU
Impatiens glandulifera (Himalayan balsam) EU
Juncus planifolius (broad-leaved rush) RI
Lagarosiphon major (curly waterweed) EU
Lamiastrum galeobdolon subsp. argentatum (variegated yellow archangel) EW
Lespedeza cuneata (Chinese shrub clover) EU
Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle) NI
Ludwigia grandiflora (water primrose) EU, Banned from sale in UK since 2014
Ludwigia peploides (floating water primrose) EU, Banned from sale in UK since 2014
Ludwigia uruguayensis (water primrose) EW, NI, RI
Lygodium japonicum (climbing fern) EU
Lysichiton americanus (skunk cabbage) EU
Microstegium vimineum (Japanese stiltgrass) EU
Myriophyllum aquaticum (parrot’s feather) EU, Banned from sale in UK since 2014
Myriophyllum heterophyllum (broadleaf watermilfoil) EU
Nymphoides peltata (fringed waterlily) NI, RI
Parthenium hysterophorus (parthenium weed) EU
Parthenocissus inserta (false Virginia creeper) EW
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper) EW
Pennisetum setaceum (crimson fountain grass) EU
Persicaria perfoliata (Asiatic tearthumb) EU
Persicaria wallichii (Himalayan knotweed) RI
Pistia stratiotes (water lettuce) EW, NI, RI
Polygonum perfoliatum (mile-a-minute weed) NI, RI
Prosopis juliflora (mesquite) EU
Pueraria montana var. lobata (kudzu) EU
Rhododendron luteum (yellow azalea) EW
Rhododendron ponticum (rhododendron) EW, RI
Rhododendron ponticum × Rhododendron maximum (rhododendron) EW, RI
Rosa rugosa (Japanese rose) EW
Rubus spectabilis (salmonberry) NI, RI
Sagittaria latifolia (duck potato) EW
Salvinia molesta (giant salvinia) EU
Spartina spp. and hybrids (cord-grasses) NI, RI
Stratiotes aloides (water soldier) NI
Trapa natans (water chestnut) NI, RI
Triadica sebifera (Chinese tallow tree) EU
Zostera japonica (dwarf eelgrass) NI, RI