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Guidance: Invasive non-native (alien) plant species: rules in England and Wales

Animal Plant Health Agency

September 20
10:57 2022

There are 36 species of invasive alien plants that are listed as species of special concern because of their:

  • invasiveness
  • ability to establish in several nations across Europe, including the UK

They cause severe problems for native UK plants and the environment.

You should be aware that the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (WCA) lists plant species that are banned from being planted, or otherwise caused to grow in the wild.

Guidance is available on the rules you must follow under the WCA.

Restrictions on invasive alien plants

You must not do any of the following with them:

  • import
  • keep
  • breed
  • transport
  • sell
  • grow, cultivate or permit to reproduce

These rules also apply to specimens of listed invasive alien species, including any:

  • any live part of the species, such as seeds or cuttings that might grow or reproduce
  • hybrids, varieties or breeds of such a species that might survive and subsequently reproduce

Exemptions

You might be exempt if you:

  • already have a listed plant species growing on your land as part of a private collection
  • are transporting them from your land to a facility for destruction
  • have a permit or licence to keep them in certain circumstances, such as research or conservation or a licence to use them for educational purposes
  • are still within certain time limits to sell them

List of invasive plant species

These tables set out all plants that are listed species of special concern.

Widely spread in England and Wales

Common name Scientific name Listing
American skunk cabbage Lysichiton americanus 3 August 2016
Chilean rhubarb Gunnera tinctoria 2 August 2017
Curly waterweed Lagarosiphon major 3 August 2016
Floating pennywort Hydrocotyle ranunculoides 3 August 2016
Giant hogweed Heracleum mantegazzianum 2 August 2017
Himalayan balsam Impatiens glandulifera 2 August 2017
Nuttalls waterweed Elodea nuttallii 2 August 2017
Parrots feather Myriophyllum aquaticum 3 August 2016

Non widely spread in England and Wales

Common name Scientific name Listing
Alligator weed Alternanthera philoxeroides 2 August 2017
Asiatic tearthumb Persicaria perfoliata 3 August 2016
Balloon vine Cardiospermum grandiflorum 15 August 2019
Broadleaf watermilfoil Myriophyllum heterophyllum 2 August 2017
Broomsedge bluestem Andropogon virginicus 15 August 2019
Chinese bushclover Lespedeza cuneata 15 August 2019
Chinese tallow Triadica sebifera 15 August 2019
Common milkweed Asclepias syriaca 2 August 2017
Crimson fountaingrass Pennisetum setaceum 2 August 2017
Eastern baccharis Baccharis halimifolia 3 August 2016
Fanwort Cabomba caroliniana 3 August 2016
Floating primrose-willow Ludwigia peploides 3 August 2016
Golden wreath wattle Acacia saligna 15 August 2019
Japanese hop Humulus scandens 15 August 2019
Japanese stiltgrass Microstegium vimineum 2 August 2017
Kudzu vine Pueraria lobata 3 August 2016
Mesquite Prosopis juliflora 15 August 2019
Perennial veldt grass Ehrharta calycina 15 August 2019
Persian hogweed Heracleum persicum 3 August 2016
Purple pampas grass Cortaderia jubata 15 August 2019
Salvinia moss Salvinia molesta 15 August 2019
Senegal tea plant Gymnocoronis spilanthoides 15 August 2019
Sosnowskys hogweed Heracleum sosnowskyi 3 August 2016
Tree of Heaven Ailanthus altissima 15 August 2019
Vine-like fern Lygodium japonicum 15 August 2019
Water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes 3 August 2016
Water-primrose Ludwigia grandiflora 3 August 2016
Whitetop weed Parthenium hysterophorus 3 August 2016

Plants on your land and in private collections including gardens

If a listed plant is already growing on your land, including parks, estates open to the public or private gardens, then in the view of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the plants are not considered to be intentionally kept or cultivated. So youre not committing an offence if theres a listed plant growing in your garden or on your land. However you cannot intentionally plant listed species on your land, or intentionally cause existing listed plants to spread.

But you should:

You can only transport a live listed plant or anything from which it can reproduce outside your land if youre taking it to a facility for destruction or have one of the following:

If you have listed plants in private collections on display to visitors you should have signs explaining:

  • the risk of the species to native plants and animals
  • that it is an invasive alien species and what this means in law
  • how the species can be managed and contained

You should make sure visitors do not take cuttings or seeds.

You must not sell, use or exchange any listed species.

Manage or remove aquatic plants

If a listed species is already growing in ponds, lakes or waterways on your land, either private or open to the public, the species is not considered to be intentionally kept or cultivated. So youre not committing an offence because youre not intentionally keeping or cultivating it.

Invasive aquatic plants can damage ponds, waterways and the environment. You should not intentionally allow aquatic plant species to grow or spread outside your land.

You might be committing an offence if you dump aquatic plants in the wild.

Even tiny plant fragments can cause significant problems, so you should be careful when maintaining your pond and disposing of wa

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