Animal Plant Health Agency
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There are 36 species of invasive alien plants that are listed as species of special concern because of their:
- invasiveness
- ability to establish in several nations across Europe, including the UK
They cause severe problems for native UK plants and the environment.
You should be aware that the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (WCA) lists plant species that are banned from being planted, or otherwise caused to grow in the wild.
Restrictions on invasive alien plants
You must not do any of the following with invasive alien plants:
- import
- keep
- breed
- transport
- sell
- grow, cultivate or permit to reproduce
These rules also apply to specimens of listed invasive alien species, including any:
- live part of the species, such as seeds or cuttings that might grow or reproduce
- hybrids, varieties or breeds of such a species that might survive and subsequently reproduce
Exemptions
You might be exempt from invasive alien plant restrictions if you:
- already have a listed plant species growing on your land as part of a private collection
- are transporting them from your land to a facility for destruction
- have a permit or licence to keep them in certain circumstances, such as research or conservation or a licence to use them for educational purposes
- are still within certain time limits to sell them
List of invasive plant species
Check these lists to find out which plants are widely and non-widely spread, and when they were listed.
Widely spread in England and Wales
| Common name | Scientific name | When it was listed |
|---|---|---|
| American skunk cabbage | Lysichiton americanus | 3 August 2016 |
| Chilean rhubarb | Gunnera tinctoria | 2 August 2017 |
| Curly waterweed | Lagarosiphon major | 3 August 2016 |
| Floating pennywort | Hydrocotyle ranunculoides | 3 August 2016 |
| Giant hogweed | Heracleum mantegazzianum | 2 August 2017 |
| Himalayan balsam | Impatiens glandulifera | 2 August 2017 |
| Nuttalls waterweed | Elodea nuttallii | 2 August 2017 |
| Parrots feather | Myriophyllum aquaticum | 3 August 2016 |
Non widely spread in England and Wales
| Common name | Scientific name | When it was listed |
|---|---|---|
| Alligator weed | Alternanthera philoxeroides | 2 August 2017 |
| Asiatic tearthumb | Persicaria perfoliata | 3 August 2016 |
| Balloon vine | Cardiospermum grandiflorum | 15 August 2019 |
| Broadleaf watermilfoil | Myriophyllum heterophyllum | 2 August 2017 |
| Broomsedge bluestem | Andropogon virginicus | 15 August 2019 |
| Chinese bushclover | Lespedeza cuneata | 15 August 2019 |
| Chinese tallow | Triadica sebifera | 15 August 2019 |
| Common milkweed | Asclepias syriaca | 2 August 2017 |
| Crimson fountaingrass | Pennisetum setaceum | 2 August 2017 |
| Eastern baccharis | Baccharis halimifolia | 3 August 2016 |
| Fanwort | Cabomba caroliniana | 3 August 2016 |
| Floating primrose-willow | Ludwigia peploides | 3 August 2016 |
| Golden wreath wattle | Acacia saligna | 15 August 2019 |
| Japanese hop | Humulus scandens | 15 August 2019 |
| Japanese stiltgrass | Microstegium vimineum | 2 August 2017 |
| Kudzu vine | Pueraria lobata | 3 August 2016 |
| Mesquite | Prosopis juliflora | 15 August 2019 |
| Perennial veldt grass | Ehrharta calycina | 15 August 2019 |
| Persian hogweed | Heracleum persicum | 3 August 2016 |
| Purple pampas grass | Cortaderia jubata | 15 August 2019 |
| Salvinia moss | Salvinia molesta | 15 August 2019 |
| Senegal tea plant | Gymnocoronis spilanthoides | 15 August 2019 |
| Sosnowskys hogweed | Heracleum sosnowskyi | 3 August 2016 |
| Tree of Heaven | Ailanthus altissima | 15 August 2019 |
| Vine-like fern | Lygodium japonicum | 15 August 2019 |
| Water hyacinth | Eichhornia crassipes | 3 August 2016 |
| Water-primrose | Ludwigia grandiflora | 3 August 2016 |
| Whitetop weed | Parthenium hysterophorus | 3 August 2016 |
Plants on your land and in private collections including gardens
If a listed plant is already growing on your land, Defra does not consider it to be intentionally kept or cultivated and youre not committing an offence. This includes plants in private gardens, parks and estates open to the public.
However, you cannot intentionally plant listed species on your land, or intentionally cause existing listed plants to spread.
You should:
- treat or dispose of listed plants where possible
- not intentionally allow listed plants to grow or spread outside your land
You can only transport a live listed plant or anything from which it can reproduce outside your land if youre taking it to a facility for destruction or have one of the following:
- a licence from Natural England
- a licence from Natural Resources Wales
- a permit from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)
If you have listed plants in private collections on display to visitors you should have signs explaining:
- the risk of the species to native plants and animals
- that it is an invasive alien species and what this means in law
- how the species can be managed and contained
You should make sure visitors do not take cuttings or seeds.
You must not sell, use or exchange any listed species.
Manage or remove aquatic plants
If a listed plant is already growing in ponds, lakes or waterways on your land, either private or open to the public, the plant is not considered to be intentionally kept or cultivated. So youre not committing an offence because youre not intentionally keeping or cultivating it.
Invasive aquatic plants can damage ponds, waterways and the environment. You should not intentionally allow aquatic plant species to grow or spread outside your land.
You might be committing an offence if you dump aquatic plants in the wild.
Even tiny plant fragments can cause significant problems, so you should be