These species are listed as invasive in Indiana. The species listed below have been assessed to determine how invasive they are in the state of Indiana through a science-based, transparent approach that assigns points based on ecological impact, potential for expansion, and difficulty in management. The summed points are used to assign a ranking of high, medium, or low based on data at the time of the assessment.
Definitions (per Federal Executive Order 13751):
Native species | with respect to a particular ecosystem, a species that, other than as a result of an introduction, historically occurred or currently occurs in that ecosystem. |
Non-native Species or Alien Species | with respect to a particular ecosystem, an organism, including its seeds, eggs, spores, or other biological material capable of propagating that species, that occurs outside of its natural range. |
Invasive Species | with regard to a particular ecosystem, a non-native organism whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm, or harm to human, animal, or plant health. |
Established 26-Sep-2012 - Last updated 17-Apr-2020. How was this list developed?
Download a Plant List PDF sorted by:
Rank & Common Name | Rank & Latin Name
Growth Form & Common Name | Growth Form & Latin Name
Common Name | Latin Name | Invasive Rank | Regulatory Status |
---|---|---|---|
goatsrue | Galega officinalis | Medium | Federal noxious weed |
giant hogweed | Heracleum mantegazzianum | Medium | Federal noxious weed |
mosquito fern | Azolla pinnata | Federal noxious weed, prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 | |
caulerpa | Caulerpa taxifolia | Federal noxious weed, prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 | |
oxygen weed | Lagarosiphon major | Federal noxious weed, prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 | |
monochoria | Monochoria hastata | Federal noxious weed, prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 | |
heartshape | Monochoria vaginalis | Federal noxious weed, prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 | |
arrowhead | Sagittaria sagittifolia | Federal noxious weed, prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 | |
giant salvinia | Salvinia auriculata | Federal noxious weed, prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 | |
giant salvinia | Salvinia biloba | Federal noxious weed, prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 | |
giant salvinia | Salvinia herzogii | Federal noxious weed, prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 | |
giant salvinia | Salvinia molesta | Federal noxious weed, prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 | |
exotic bur-reed | Sparganium erectum | Federal noxious weed, prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 | |
Norway maple | Acer platanoides | High | None |
callery pear | Pyrus calleryana | High | None |
narrowleaf bittercress | Cardamine impatiens | Medium | None |
Queen Anne's Lace | Daucus carota | Medium | None |
Russian olive | Eleagnus angustifolia | Medium | None |
burning bush | Euonymus alatus | High | None |
creeping charlie | Glechoma hederacea | Medium | None |
English ivy | Hedera helix | Medium | None |
Korean lespedeza | Kummerowia stipulacea | High | None |
striate lespedeza | Kummerowia striata | High | None |
white sweet clover | Melilotus alba | Medium | None |
yellow sweet clover | Melilotus officinalis | Medium | None |
Chinese maiden grass | Miscanthus sinensis | High | None |
wild parsnip | Pastinaca sativa | High | None |
bouncing bet | Saponaria officinalis | Medium | None |
tall fescue | Schenodorus arundinacea | Medium | None |
Siberian elm | Ulmus pumila | Medium | None |
vetch | Vicia cracca | Medium | None |
periwinkle | Vinca minor | Medium | None |
St. John's wort | Hypericum perforatum | Low | None |
porcelain berry | Ampelopsis brevipedunculata | Caution | None |
giant reed | Arundo donax | Caution | None |
common barberry | Berberis vulgaris | Caution | None |
sweet autumn clematis | Clematis terniflora | High | None |
lyme grass | Leymus arenarius | Caution | None |
Amur privet | Ligustrum amurense | Caution | None |
California privet | Ligustrum ovalifolium | Caution | None |
Chinese privet | Ligustrum sinense | Caution | None |
common privet | Ligustrum vulgare | Caution | None |
miscanthus hybrid | Miscanthus x gigantea | Caution | None |
princess tree | Paulownia tomentosa | Medium | None |
sawtooth oak | Quercus acutissima | Caution | None |
lesser celandine | Ficaria verna | High | None |
jetbead | Rhodotypos scandens | Medium | None |
wine raspberry | Rubus phoenicolasius | Caution | None |
Japanese meadowsweet | Spiraea japonica | Medium | None |
spreading hedge parsley | Torilis arvensis | High | None |
Japanese hedge parsley | Torilis japonica | High | None |
hybrid cattail | Typha x glauca | Caution | None |
highbush cranberry | Viburnum opulus v. opulus | High | None |
large-leaved periwinkle | Vinca major | Caution | None |
wisteria | Wisteria sinensis | Medium | None |
mimosa | Albizia julibrissin | Medium | None |
moneywort | Lysimachia nummularia | High | None |
beefsteak plant | Perilla frutescens | Medium | None |
ravenna grass | Saccharum ravennae | Medium | None |
Canada thistle | Cirsium arvense | High | Noxious weed per IC 15-3-4.6; detrimental plant per IC 15-3-4 |
Johnson grass | Sorghum halepense | High | Noxious weed per IC 15-3-4.6; detrimental plant per IC 15-3-4 and IC 15-3-5 |
kudzu | Pueraria montana | High | Pest species per 312 IAC 18-3-16 |
flowering rush | Butomus umbellatus | High | Prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 |
Brazilian elodea | Egeria densa | High | Prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 |
anchored water hyacinth | Eichhornia azurea | High | Prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 |
hydrilla | Hydrilla verticillata | High | Prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 |
European frogbit | Hydrocharis morsus-ranae | High | Prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 |
miramar weed | Hygrophilia polysperma | High | Prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 |
Chinese waterspinach | Ipomoea aquatic | High | Prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 |
yellow iris | Iris pseudacorus | High | Prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 |
Asian marshweed | Limnophila sessiliflora | High | Prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 |
purple loosestrife | Lythrum salicaria | High | Prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-3-13 |
white mulberry | Morus alba | High | Prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-3-25 |
parrotfeather | Myriophyllum aquaticum | High | Prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 |
Eurasian watermilfoil | Myriophyllum spicatum | High | Prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 |
brittle naiad | Najas minor | High | Prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 |
yellow floating hearts | Nymphoides peltata | High | Prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 |
duck lettuce | Ottelia alismoides | High | Prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 |
curly-leaved pondweed | Potamogeton crispus | High | Prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 |
water chestnut | Trapa natans | High | Prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 |
narrow-leaved cattail | Typha angustifolia | High | Prohibited invasive aquatic plant per 312 IAC 18-2-23 |
Japanese chaff flower | Achyranthes japonica | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
tree of heaven | Ailanthus altissima | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
garlic mustard | Alliaria petiolata | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
black alder | Alnus glutinosa | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
mugwort | Artemisia vulgaris | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
small carpgrass | Arthraxon hispidus | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
Japanese barberry | Berberis thunbergii | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
spiny plumeless thistle | Carduus acanthoides | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
musk thistle | Carduus nutans | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
Asian bittersweet More Info |
Celastrus orbiculatus | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
spotted knapweed | Centaurea stoebe | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
bull thistle | Cirsium vulgare | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
poison hemlock | Conium maculatum | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
field bindweed | Convolvulus arvensis | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
crown vetch More Info |
Coronilla varia | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
black swallow-wort | Vincetoxicum nigrum | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
pale swallow-wort | Vincetoxicum rossicum | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
Chinese yam | Dioscorea polystachya (oppositifolia) | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
common teasel | Dipsacus fullonum | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
cut-leaved teasel | Dipsacus laciniatus | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
autumn olive More Info |
Eleagnus umbellata | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
wintercreeper | Euonymus fortunei | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
leafy spurge | Euphorbia esula | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
glossy buckthorn More Info |
Frangula alnus | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
dame's rocket | Hesperis matronalis | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
Japanese hops | Humulus japonicus | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
pepperweed | Lepidium latifolium | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
sericea lespedeza | Lespedeza cuneata | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
blunt leaved privet | Ligustrum obtusifolium | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
Japanese honeysuckle More Info |
Lonicera japonica | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
Amur honeysuckle More Info |
Lonicera maacki | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
Morrow's honeysuckle | Lonicera morrowii | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
Tatarian honeysuckle More Info |
Lonicera tatarica | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
Bell's honeysuckle More Info |
Lonicera x bella | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
Japanese stiltgrass | Microstegium vimineum | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
reed canarygrass More Info |
Phalaris arundinacea | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
Amur cork tree | Phellodendron amurense | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
common reed More Info |
Phragmites australis | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
mile-a-minute Vine | Polygonum perfoliatum | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
Japanese knotweed | Rynoutria japonica | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
Giant knotweed | Reynoutria sachalinensis | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
Bohemian knotweed | Reynoutria. x Bohemica | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
common buckthorn | Rhamnus cathartica | High | Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants [312 IAC 18-3-25] |
bicolor lespedeza | Lespedeza bicolor | Medium | None |
multiflora rose | Rosa multiflora | High | Prohibited species per IC 14-24-12 and 312 IAC 18-3-13 |
IISC’s Invasive Plant Advisory Committee (IPAC) is responsible for Official IISC Invasive Plant List species assessments.