Sale of invasive plants banned in Massachusetts

The Garden in the Woods training for guides has begun, and this week the Conservation Department told us about a major new Massachusetts ban on the importation and propagation of 140 invasive plants, some of them common garden plants. The ban applies to most of the plants on the list as of January 1, 2006, but a few notable species commonly used in landscaping have been given an extension to allow time for nurseries to sell down existing stocks.

The list of plants has been in development for three years in collaboration with a number of agricultural organizations including Massachusetts Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA) and the Massachusetts Invasive Plants Advisory Group (MIPAG).

Some of the plants on the list include things I have in my own garden, so I'm going to have to give some serious thought to whether or not to retain them. (The ban does not apply to existing plantings, just to the importation and sale of new plants, but it does make me feel guilty for harboring them.)

Banned now:
Aegopodium pdagraria (Bishop's weed, goutweed)
Ailanthus altissima (Tree of Heaven)
Elaeagnus umbellata (Autumn Olive)
Lythrum slicaria (Purple loosestrife)
Phragmites australis (Common reed)
Polygonum cuspidatum (Japanese knotweed)
Pueraria montana (Kudzu)
Robinia pseudoacacia (Black locust)

Banned after 1 year
Iris pseudacorus (Yellow Iris)
Myosotis scorpioides (Forget-me-not)

Banned after 3 years:
Acer platanoides (Norway Maple)
Lonicera japonica and others (Japanese and other honeysuckles)
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese Barberry)
Euonymus alatus (Burning bush)

One of the points to note is that plants that may be invasive in Massachusetts may not be invasive in other states, due to different climate and habitats. So this list should not be taken as applicable to the entire country, just to Massachusetts. I believe each state has developed or is developing its own list of invasive species, and even if they haven't gone so far as to ban them outright, responsible gardeners might want to take this into consideration when choosing plants for their gardesn. The USDA has a good index to state-by-state resources here.

Me, I'm willing to give up the goutweed and the burning bush, but I'm going to find it hard to live without the scent of Japanese honeysuckle.

Comments

[Jim Snyder-Grant]

I've had good luck growing Trumpet Honeysuckle, (Lonicera sempervirens) out here in Acton MA. Nice showy red flowers, and fragrant. There are native alternatives for the banned invasives - a chance to grow some new stuff! I'll be ripping out the Japanese honeysuckle later this year -Jim

[aion power leveling]

I've had good luck growing Trumpet Honeysuckle, (Lonicera sempervirens) out here in Acton MA. Nice showy red flowers, and fragrant. There are native alternatives for the banned invasives - a chance to grow some new stuff! I'll be ripping out the Japanese honeysuckle later this year -Jim