Don't Plant a Pest

The list below has been extracted (with permission) from the following publication: Cal-IPC. 2006. California Invasive Plant Inventory. Cal-IPC Publication 2006-02. California Invasive Plant Council: Berkeley, CA.


Please refer to the publication for descriptions regarding the invasive aspects of these plants. A pdf file of the entire 2006 document can be viewed at: http://www.cal-ipc.org/ip/inventory/pdf/Inventory2006.pdf

The CAL-IPC website also offers an interactive database containing all the plants considered for this list, including those that were not determined to be invasive for California.

 
 

The list below also includes 7 additional species that Cal-IPC added to their inventory in 2007.

The California Invasive Plant Inventory categorizes non-native invasive plants that threaten the state’s wildlands. Categorization is based on an assessment of the ecological impacts of each plant.

The Inventory categorizes plants as High, Moderate, or Limited, reflecting the level of each species’ negative ecological impact in California.

Although the impact of each plant varies regionally, its rating represents cumulative impacts statewide. Therefore, a plant whose statewide impacts are categorized as Limited may have more severe impacts in a particular region. Conversely, a plant categorized as having a High cumulative impact across California may have very little impact in some regions.

As of 2007, the list includes 39 High species, 93 Moderate species, and 67 Limited species.

From APPENDIX 1. Species Listed by Category

Page 24 of the document.

= Alert


High

Aegilops triuncialis (barb goatgrass)

Alternanthera philoxeroides (alligatorweed)

Ammophila arenaria (European beachgrass)

Arundo donax (giant reed)

Brassica tournefortii (Saharan mustard, African mustard)

Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens (=B. rubens) (red brome)

Bromus tectorum (downy brome, cheatgrass)

Carpobrotus edulis (Hottentot-fig, iceplant)

Centaurea maculosa (=C. bibersteinii) (spotted knapweed)

Centaurea solstitialis (yellow starthistle)

Cortaderia jubata (jubatagrass)

Cortaderia selloana (pampasgrass)

Cytisus scoparius (Scotch broom)

Delairea odorata (= Senecio mikanioides ) (Cape-ivy, German-ivy)

Egeria densa (Brazilian egeria)

Ehrharta calycina (purple veldtgrass)

Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth)

Euphorbia esula (leafy spurge)

Foeniculum vulgare (fennel)

Genista monspessulana (French broom)

Hedera helix, H. canariensis (English ivy, Algerian ivy)

Hydrilla verticillata (hydrilla)

Lepidium latifolium (perennial pepperweed, tall whitetop)

Ludwigia hexapetala (=L. uruguayensis ) (Uruguay water-primrose)

Ludwigia peploides ssp. montevidensis (creeping water-primrose)

Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife)

Myriophyllum aquaticum (parrotfeather)

Myriophyllum spicatum (Eurasian watermilfoil)

Onopordum acanthium (Scotch thistle)

Rubus armeniacus (=R. discolor) (Himalaya blackberry, Armenian blackberry)

Salvinia molesta (giant salvinia)

Sesbania punicea (red sesbania, scarlet wisteria)

Spartina alterniflora hybrids (smooth cordgrass, Atlantic cordgrass)

Spartina densiflora (dense-flowered cordgrass)

Spartium junceum (Spanish broom)

Taeniatherum caput-medusae (medusahead)

Tamarix parviflora (smallflower tamarisk)

Tamarix ramosissima (saltcedar, tamarisk)

Ulex europaeus (gorse)


Moderate

Acacia dealbata (silver wattle)

Ageratina adenophora (croftonweed, eupatorium)

Ailanthus altissima (tree-of-heaven)

Alhagi maurorum (=A. pseudalhagi ) (camelthorn)

Anthoxanthum odoratum (sweet vernalgrass)

Arctotheca calendula (fertile) (fertile capeweed)

Arctotheca calendula (sterile) (sterile capeweed)

Asparagus asparagoides (bridal creeper, smilax asparagus)

Asphodelus fistulosus (onionweed)

Atriplex semibaccata (Australian saltbush)

Avena barbata (slender wild oat)

Avena fatua (wild oat)

Brachypodium distachyon (annual false-brome)

Brachypodium sylvaticum (perennial false-brome)

Brassica nigra (black mustard)

Bromus diandrus (ripgut brome)

Cardaria chalepensis (=C. draba ssp. chalepensis ) (lens-podded whitetop)

Cardaria draba (hoary cress)

Carduus nutans (musk thistle)

Carduus pycnocephalus (Italian thistle)

Carpobrotus chilensis (sea-fig, iceplant)

Carthamus lanatus (woolly distaff thistle)

Centaurea calcitrapa (purple starthistle)

Centaurea debeauxii (=C. x pratensis ) (meadow knapweed)

Centaurea melitensis (Malta starthistle, tocalote)

Centaurea virgata ssp. squarrosa (=C. squarrosa ) (squarrose knapweed)

Chondrilla juncea (rush skeletonweed)

Chrysanthemum coronarium (crown daisy)

Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle)

Cirsium vulgare (bull thistle)

Conium maculatum (poison-hemlock)

Cotoneaster franchetii (orange cotoneaster)

Cotoneaster lacteus (Parney’s cotoneaster)

Cotoneaster pannosus (silverleaf cotoneaster)

Cynara cardunculus (artichoke thistle)

Cynodon dactylon (bermudagrass)

Cynoglossum officinale (houndstongue)

Cynosurus echinatus (hedgehog dogtailgrass)

Cytisus striatus (Portuguese broom, striated broom)

Dipsacus fullonum (wild teasel)

Dipsacus sativus (fuller’s teasel)

Dittrichia graveolens (stinkwort)

Ehrharta erecta (erect veldtgrass)

Ehrharta longiflora (long-flowered veldtgrass)

Elaeagnus angustifolia (Russian-olive)

Emex spinosa (spiny emex, devil’s thorn)

Erechtites glomerata, E. minima (Australian fireweed, Australian burnweed)

Eucalyptus globulus (Tasmanian blue gum)

Euphorbia terracina (carnation spurge)

Festuca arundinacea (tall fescue)

Ficus carica (edible fig)

Geranium dissectum (cutleaf geranium)

Glyceria declinata (waxy mannagrass)

Halogeton glomeratus (halogeton)

Hirschfeldia incana (shortpod mustard, summer mustard)

Holcus lanatus (common velvetgrass)

Hordeum marinum, H. murinum (Mediterranean barley, hare barley, wall barley)

Hypericum canariense (Canary Island hypericum)

Hypericum perforatum (common St. Johnswort, klamathweed)

Hypochaeris radicata (rough catsear, hairy dandelion)

Ilex aquifolium (English holly)

Isatis tinctoria (dyer’s woad)

Kochia scoparia (kochia)

Leucanthemum vulgare (oxeye daisy)

Linaria genistifolia ssp. dalmatica (= L. dalmatica ) (Dalmation toadflax)

Linaria vulgaris (yellow toadflax)

Lolium multiflorum (Italian ryegrass)

Lythrum hyssopifolium (hyssop loosestrife)

Mentha pulegium (pennyroyal)

Mesembryanthemum crystallinum (crystalline iceplant)

Myoporum laetum (myoporum)

Nicotiana glauca (tree tobacco)

Oxalis pes-caprae (buttercup oxalis, yellow oxalis, Bermuda buttercup)

Pennisetum setaceum (crimson fountaingrass)

Phalaris aquatica (hardinggrass)

Polygonum cuspidatum (= Fallopia japonica ) (Japanese knotweed)

Polygonum sachalinense (Sakhalin knotweed, giant knotweed)

Potamogeton crispus (curlyleaf pondweed)

Retama monosperma (bridal broom)

Rumex acetosella (red sorrel, sheep sorrel)

Saccharum ravennae (ravennagrass)

Salsola soda (oppositeleaf Russian thistle)

Sapium sebiferum (Chinese tallowtree)

Sisymbrium irio (London rocket)

Spartina anglica (common cordgrass)

Stipa capensis (Mediterranean steppegrass, twisted-awned speargrass)

Tanacetum vulgare (common tansy)

Torilis arvensis (hedgeparsley)

Trifolium hirtum (rose clover)

Vinca major (big periwinkle)

Vulpia myuros (rattail fescue)

Washingtonia robusta (Mexican fan palm, Washington palm)


Limited

Acacia melanoxylon (black acacia, blackwood acacia)

Agrostis avenacea (Pacific bentgrass)

Agrostis stolonifera (creeping bentgrass)

Bassia hyssopifolia (fivehook bassia)

Bellardia trixago (bellardia)

Brassica rapa (birdsrape mustard, field mustard)

Briza maxima (big quackinggrass, rattlesnakegrass)

Bromus hordeaceus (soft brome)

Bromus japonicus (Japanese brome)

Cakile maritima (European sea-rocket)

Cardaria pubescens (hairy whitetop)

Carduus acanthoides (plumeless thistle)

Carduus tenuifolius (slenderflower thistle)

Conicosia pugioniformis (narrowleaf iceplant)

Cordyline australis (giant dracaena, New Zealand cabbage tree)

Cotula coronopifolia (brassbuttons)

Crataegus monogyna (English hawthorn)

Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora (montbretia)

Crupina vulgaris (common crupina, bearded creeper)

Dactylis glomerata (orchardgrass)

Descurainia sophia (flixweed, tansy mustard)

Digitalis purpurea (foxglove)

Echium candicans (pride-of-Madeira)

Erodium cicutarium (redstem filaree)

Eucalyptus camaldulensis (red gum)

Euphorbia oblongata (oblong spurge)

Helichrysum petiolare (licoriceplant)

Hypochaeris glabra (smooth catsear)

Iris pseudacorus (yellowflag iris)

Lobularia maritima (sweet alyssum)

Marrubium vulgare (white horehound)

Medicago polymorpha (California burclover)

Myosotis latifolia (common forget-me-not)

Olea europaea (olive)

Ononis alopecuroides (foxtail restharrow)

Parentucellia viscosa (yellow glandweed, sticky

parentucellia)

Pennisetum clandestinum (kikuyugrass)

Phoenix canariensis (Canary Island date palm)

Phytolacca americana (common pokeweed)

Picris echioides (bristly oxtongue)

Piptatherum miliaceum (smilograss)

Plantago lanceolata (buckhorn plantain, English

plantain)

Poa pratensis (Kentucky bluegrass)

Polypogon monspeliensis and subspp. (rabbitfoot

polypogon, annual beardgrass, rabbitfoot grass)

Prunus cerasifera (cherry plum, wild plum)

Pyracantha angustifolia, P. crenulata, P. coccinea, etc.

(pyracantha, firethorn)

Ranunculus repens (creeping buttercup)

Raphanus sativus (radish)

Ricinus communis (castorbean)

Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust)

Rumex crispus (curly dock)

Salsola paulsenii (barbwire Russian-thistle)

Salsola tragus (Russian-thistle)

Salvia aethiopis (Mediterranean sage)

Saponaria officinalis (bouncingbet)

Schinus molle (Peruvian peppertree)

Schinus terebinthifolius (Brazilian peppertree)

Schismus arabicus, S. barbatus (mediterraneangrass)

Senecio jacobaea (tansy ragwort)

Silybum marianum (blessed milkthistle)

Sinapis arvensis (wild mustard, charlock)

Spartina patens (saltmeadow cordgrass)

Tamarix aphylla (athel tamarisk)

Undaria pinnatifida (wakame)

Verbascum thapsus (common mullein, woolly mullein)

Watsonia meriana (bulbil watsonia)

Zantesdeschia aethiopica (calla lily)