Invasive Plant Identification

Guide with Images for identification: InvasivePlantsFieldGuide.pdf (msu.edu)

MISIN – Michigan Invasive Species Information Network to report Invasives and use the MISIN App

Local events for Invasive Control:

CISMAs: Managing invasive species near you – Oakland County CISMA 

          Check out the recent Invasive Species Summit info

TOP REPORTED INVASIVE SPECIES

  • Phragmites (Invasive): 58,985
  • Garlic mustard: 15,723
  • Brown marmorated stink bug: 12,258
  • Japanese knotweed: 11,353
  • Autumn olive: 11,267
  • Spotted knapweed: 9,407
  • Purple loosestrife: 7,097
  • European frog-bit: 6,145
  • Bush honeysuckle: 6,106
  • Japanese barberry: 5,450

Delaware recently banned the sale of many more plants.  These should be considered suspect in Michigan as well.  See this list below.

Based on the expert assessments, an I-Rank, or invasive rank was determined based on expert responses denoting the level at which a species is invasive in the identified geographic area, in this case, the state of Delaware. These ranks are categorized by high, medium, low, and insignificant. If a species was ranked as high, medium, or low, they are deemed invasive to some degree by the experts and; therefore, are included in the current iteration of the DISC list of Invasive Plant Species. Species ranked as insignificant, were added to the DISC Watch List and will be reevaluated in two years when the list will again be revised. Additionally, for future revisions to the list, selected species thought to be invasive in Delaware will also be evaluated. In contrast to the 2006 DISC list of invasive plants, the new list includes only two categories – invasive and watch list. Below are the results.

DISC Invasive Plant List

Species Common Name
Acer palmatum Japanese maple
Acer platanoides Norway maple
Acorus calamus European sweetflag
Ailanthus altissima Tree of heaven
Alliaria petiolata Garlic mustard
Ampelopsis glandulosa Porcelain berry
Berberis thunbergii Japanese barberry
Celasrus orbiculatus Oriental bittersweet
Centaurea stoebe subsp. micranthos Spotted knapweed
Clematis terniflora Japanese Clematis
Elaeagnus umbellata Autumn olive
Eragrostis curvula Weeping lovegrass
Euonymus alatus Winged euonymus
Euonymus fortunei Wintercreeper
Fallopia japonica Japanese knotweed
Ficaria verna Lesser celandine
Hedera helix English ivy
Hemerocallis fulva Orange daylily
Hydrilla verticillata Hydrilla
Iris pseudacorus Yellow flag iris, Water flag
Koelreuteria paniculata Golden raintree
Leucojum aestivum Summer snowflake
Ligustrum vulgare European privet
Lonicera japonica Japanese honeysuckle
Lonicera maackii Amur honeysuckle
Lonicera morrowii Morrow’s honeysuckle
Lonicera tatarica Tartarian honeysuckle
Lysimachia nummularia Creeping Jenny
Lythrum salicaria Purple loosestrife
Microstegium vimineum Japanese stilt grass
Miscanthus sinensis Chinese silvergrass
Murdannia keisak Marsh Dewflower
Pachysandra terminalis Japanese pachysandra
Persicaria perfoliata Mile-a-minute
Phalaris arundinacea Reed canarygrass
Phragmites australis subsp. australis European reed
Pinus thunbergiana Japanese black pine
Pyrus calleryana Callery pear
Rosa multiflora Multiflora rose
Rubus phoenicolasius Wineberry
Viburnum dilatatum Linden arrowwood
Viburnum sieboldii Siebold’s viburnum
Vinca minor Lesser periwinkle
Wisteria sinensis Chinese wisteria

DISC Invasive Plant Watch List

Species Common Name
Buddleja davidii Butterflybush
Ilex crenata Japanese holly
Lespedeza thunbergii Thunberg’s bushcover
Lilium lancifolium Tiger lily
Lotus corniculatus Bird’s foot trefoil
Mahonia bealei Leatherleaf mahonia
Quercus acutissima Sawtooth oak
Spirea japonica Japanese spirea
Viburnum plicatum Japanese snowball
Viburnum setigerum Tea viburnum