The State of Ohio now has an invasive plant list that has banned 38 species, some of which you may have growing in your yard.  Have a callery pear, Russian olive, tree-of-heaven, common barberry, multiflora rose? These are on the list.

The state won’t make you dig up and destroy what you have, but these species can no longer be sold in Ohio. Sorry, the state can tell you want you can’t grow. Most likely, you won’t be arrested and thrown into a jail of brambles, if you do buy one from an out-of-state, clandestine operation.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture says their banning certain species is for your own good.  These species are invasive and “strangle” native plants. They note that wildlife depends on native vegetation to survive.

So, if you have any of these plants on your spring landscape Wish List, you’d better go to Plan B.

Ohio invasive species:

Ailanthus altissima, tree-of-heaven
Alliaria petiolata, garlic mustard
Berberis vulgaris, common barberry
Butomus umbellatus, flowering rush
Celastrus orbiculatus, oriental bittersweet
Centaurea stoebe ssp. Micranthos, spotted knapweed
Dipsacus fullonum, common teasel
Dipsacus laciniatus, cutleaf teasel
Egeria densa Brazilian, elodea
Elaeagnus angustifolia, russian olive
Elaeagnus umbellata, autumn olive
Epilobium hirsutum; hairy willow herb
Frangula alnus, glossy buckthorn
Heracleum mantegazzianum, giant hogweed
Hesperis matronlis, dame’s rocket
Hydrilla verticillata, hydrilla
Hydrocharis morsus-ranae, european frog-bit
Lonicera japonica, japanese honeysuckle
Lonicera maackii, amur honeysuckle
Lonicera morrowii, morrow’s honeysuckle
Lonicera tatarica, tatarian honeysuckle
Lythrum salicaria, purple loosestrife
Lythrum virgatum, european wand loosestrife
Microstegium vimineum, japanese stiltgrass
Myriophyllum aquaticum, parrotfeather
Myriophyllum spicatum, eurasian water-milfoil
Nymphoides peltata, yellow floating heart
Phragmites australis, common reed
Potamogeton crispus, curly-leaved pondweed
Pueraria montana var. lobate, kudzu
Pyrus calleryana, callery pear;
Ranunculus ficaria, fig buttercup/lesser celandine
Rhamnus cathartica, european buckthorn
Rosa multiflora; multiflora rose
Trapa natans, water chestnut
Typha angustifolia, narrow-leaved cattail
Typha x glauca, hybrid cattai
Vincetoxicum nigrum, black dog-strangling vine, black swallowwort