Canadian Invasive Plant Lists

⚠️ Important Note
Note: These resources are provided for public awareness, but CCIPR does not maintain or update provincial or federal invasive plant lists. This limitation highlights the need for a federally maintained, authoritative, national plant-risk database—a critical action in CCIPR’s Roadmap for Change.

1. How to Use This Page

Invasive plant regulation in Canada is fragmented. Provinces, territories, and U.S. border states each maintain their own lists or regulated plants and many harmful plants remain unregulated.

This page helps you find:

• Selected Invasive Ornamental and Aquatic Plants of Concern in Canada
• Regional invasive plant lists and councils – scroll down
• Check which plants are regulated in your province or territory – Canada: Province & Territories Plant Regulations; USA: Border States. Regulations vary greatly by jurisdiction, with several provinces and territories having no regulations. Overall, there are 238 plants regulated by Canada and the provinces. The US border states regulate over 500 plants and include many more ornamental species.

2. CCIPR’s Master List of Regulated and High-Risk Plants

A consolidated reference drawn from federal, provincial/territorial, and adjacent U.S. regulatory lists.

📄 Download the Master List (Excel, 2024)
(Scientific name • Common name • Regulation status • Jurisdiction • Notes)
As we have likely made errors in the arduous compilation process, you can confirm data using the primary sources found on our Canada and U.S. regulation pages.

3. Invasive Plant Lists

Invasive plant issues cross borders. Use the sections below to find lists, watch species, and regulatory documents across Canada and beyond.

Canada

• Invasive Species regulated under the Plant Protection Act
• Noxious Weeds regulated under the Weed Seeds Order
• “It is prohibited for any person to introduce an aquatic species into a particular region or body of water frequented by fish where it is not indigenous unless authorized to do so under federal or provincial law” (Aquatic Invasive Species Regulation, SOR/2015-121 of the Fisheries Act)
• Invasive Species Centre (ISC) Plant Lists
• Invasive Canada formerly the Canadian Council on Invasive Species
• Canadian Council on Invasive Species Canada’s unwanted invasive plants (2019)

Alberta:

• Alberta Provincially Regulated Weeds
• Alberta Aquatic Invasives – Pocket Guide (pdf, 2022)
• Alberta Invasive Council Grow Me Instead Guide 
• Invasive Plants of Alberta 4th Edition (pdf, 2022)
• Alberta Invasive Plant Identification GUIDE: Prohibited Noxious and Noxious Weeds (2013)

Atlantic Canada:

• New Brunswick has no provincially regulated species Weed Control Act (SNB 1969, C.21)
• New Brunswick Invasive Species Council 
• Newfoundland and Labrador has no provincially regulated species – Exotic and Invasive Alien Speices in Newfoundland and Labrador
• Nova Scotia regulates 10 taxa (with some regional specificity) under the Agricultural Weed Control Act (R.S.N.S. 1989, c.501)
• Nova Scotia/New Brunswick Plant Wise
• Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council Invasive Species List
• PEI regulates purple loosestrife under the Weed Control Act Purple Loosestrife Control Regulations pursuant to section14 of the Weed Control Act (P.E.I. 1987, c.70)
• PEI Invasive Species Council Invasive Plant Lists   

British Columbia:

• British Columbia prohibits 39 noxious weeds under the Weed Control Act (RSBC 1996, c. 487)] within all regions of the province and 27 more regionally. Some additional species may be locally regulated under the Spheres of Concurrent Jurisdiction – Environment and Wildlife Regulation (B.C. Reg. 155/2024)
• BC Invasive Plants Government Page
• BC Invasive Terrestrial Plant List (2025)
• BC Invasive Aquatic Plant Monitoring (pdf – list on p. 8, 2024)
• BC Invasive Species Council Grow Me Instead
• Official BC Ministry of Forests invasive species list 
• Invasives BC database, map and mobile data collection application

Manitoba:

• Manitoba regulates 110 Noxious Weeds (Declaration Of Noxious Weeds In Manitoba under the Noxious Weeds Act (C.C.S.M. c. N110): and prohibits 21 invasive aquatic plants under the Water Protection Act (C.C.S.M. c. W65) Aquatic Invasive Species Regulation
• Manitoba Master Gardeners Invasive Plants
• Manitoba Invasive Species Council Grow Me Instead (pdf)

Ontario:

• Ontario regulates 22 taxa under the Invasive Species Act (S.O. 2015, c. 22) as of 2025; and 25 Noxious Weeds under the Weed Control Act, (R.S.O. 1990, c. W.5).
• Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources lists 22 Invasive Aquatic Plants (2025)
• Auditor General of Ontario recommends regulation of commonly sold plants – Value for Money Audit (2022, p.22)
• Ontario Society for Ecological Restoration – Invasive Exotic Species Ranking for Southern Ontario (2025, pdf)
• MidWest Invasive Plant List – https://mipn.org/invasive-plant-list/ (updated 2025)
• Credit Valley Conservation Invasive Plant List (2021 update in progress)
• Ontario Invasive Plant Council Grow Me Instead; Ontario Invasive Species Awareness
• Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters in partnership with Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Credit Valley Conservation – Appendix to A Landowner’s Guide to Managing and Controlling Invasive Plants in Ontario (2014)
• Upper Thames Conservation Invasive Non-native plants – currently being updated.
• Ontario South Central Conservation Authorities Invasive plants (xlsx file downloads – collated from member websites in 2023)

Northwest Territories:

• NWT has no regulated species
• NWT Council on Invasive Species, Pests, and Pathogens (CISPP)
  NWT CISPP Alien plants in the NWT (2025);  Field Guide to Alien Plants in the Northwest Territories (pdf, 2023)
• NWT Environment & Climate Change – Invasive and Alien Species Information Page;
• Carriere, et al., A Risk Assessment of Invasive Alien Species in the NWT (2010)
• NWT Stop the Spread Pamphlet

Nunavut:

• Nunavut prohibits the introduction of “species into a habitat in which that species does not belong or never naturally occurred” under the The Wildlife Act (S.Nu. 2020, c.15) 
• Nunavut – Non-native invasive species in Nunavut (Poster)

Saskatchewan:

• Saskatchewan regulates 65 plants under the Weed Control Act (Chapter W-11.1 2014, c.19) (plant list accessed October 7, 2022). 
• Saskatchewan government Invasive Species general information; Invasive Species Legislation
• Saskatchewan Invasive Species Council Invasive Plant Fact Sheets
• Saskatchewan Water Security Agency, A guide to aquatic nuisances and their control, 2016

Yukon:

• Yukon can regulate organisms prescribed by the Commissioner in Executive Council to be dangerous to life, health, property, or the natural environment (Class 9) under the Environment Act (RSY 2002, c. 76). No plants are currently explicitly regulated.
• Yukon Invasive Species Council; Be Plant Wise guides (pdfs) 

North America:

• Invasive Plant Atlas (US and Canada) Plant Species Reported to be Invasive in Natural Areas (1405 Records, 2018)
• U.S. Invasive Plant Atlas
• Mid-Atlantic Invasive Network Invasive Plant List
• Public Gardens as Sentinels of Invasive Plants Dashboard
• Regional Invasive Species & Climate Change (RISCC) Management Networks
• Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas (Swearingen, J., B. Slattery, K. Reshetiloff, and S. Zwicker. 2010. Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas, 4th ed. National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Washington, DC. 168pp.)
• Border States:
  • Alaska: Invasive Plants and Agricultural Pest Management – prohibited and restricted Noxious Weeds; AKEPIC (Alaska Exotic Plant Information Center)
  • Idaho has 74 weed species and 4 genera designated noxious by state law: Invasive Species Laws & Rules
  • Maine law makes it illegal to sell, import, export, buy or intentionally propagate for sale 63 plant species (Maine Invasive Plants; Agriculture CMR 01-001 Chapter 273); Prohibited aquatic plants.
  • Michigan prohibits terrestrial and aquatic plants under the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act Part 413; MDARD Prohibited and Restricted Weeds; Michigan Invasive Aquatic Plants
  • Minnesota: “It is illegal to possess, import, purchase, sell, propagate, transport, or introduce prohibited invasive species, except as allowed by statute.” Minnesota and Federal Prohibited Species List (2024); Current state law prohibits transportation of all aquatic plants (with a few exceptions – Aquatic Mycrophytes, 2025 Minnesota Statutes)
  • Montana has 36 state listed noxious weed species 2019 Montana State Noxious Weed List & Montana County Listed Noxious Weeds regulated under Weed and Pest Control; Montana has adopted further Aquatic Invasive Species regulations under Title 80. Agriculture and further prevention measures under Aquatic Invasive Species Management Area Restrictions within Title 12. Fish, Wildlife and Parks
  • New Hampshire prohibits 35 plants under N.H. Admin. Code § Agr 3802.01 – NH Prohibited Invasive Species; New Hampshire Dept. Environmental Services lists additional regulated aquatic species ((RSA 487:16-a, 2019)
  • New York has Regulated and Prohibited Invasive Species under NYS Regulation 6 NYCRR Part 575. There is an additional Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Spread Prevention regulation, or  6 NYCRR Part 576
  • North Dakota Law (NDCC § 4.1-47-02) requires every person to do all things necessary and proper to control the spread of Noxious Weeds.  Game and Fish Department further regulates Aquatic Nuisance Species.
  • Ohio regulates 38 plants under Rule 901:5-30-01 | Invasive plant species; Ohio Plant Council Invasive Plant Assessments
  • Pennsylvania Controlled Plant List
  • Vermont Noxious Weeds 
  • Washington State Noxious Weed Index
  • Wisconsin’s invasive species rule, Wis. Admin. Code NR 40, makes it illegal to possess, transport, transfer or introduce certain invasive species in Wisconsin without a permit.

International:

• EU Invasive alien species of Union concern
• CABI Invasive Species Compendium https://bplant.org/website/14
• InvaCost https://www.invasivespeciescentre.ca/invacost-the-cost-of-invasive-species/
• Global Invasive Species Database 100 world’s worst species

Selected Invasive Ornamental and Aquatic Plants of Concern in Canada

Some of the ornamental terrestrial and aquatic invasive plants currently identified by invasive plants councils across Canada and or included in the Invasive Alien Plants in Canada – Technical Report are listed below. This is a partial list of known threats across Canada as identified by Canadian authorities and plants that are regulated by multiple states bordering Canada (indicated by bold type face):

A

• Alder, European black (Alnus glutinosa)
• Angelica, woodland (Angelica sylvestris)
• Arrowhead, giant (Sagittaria sagittifolia)

B

• Baby’s-breath (Gypsophila paniculata)
• Balsam — Himalayan & small-flower (Impatiens glandulifera, I. parviflora)
• Barberry — Japanese & common (Berberis thunbergii, B. vulgaris)
• Bellflower, creeping (Campanula rapunculoides)
• Bittersweet, oriental (Celastrus orbiculatus)
• Blackberry, wild complex (Rubus fruticosus)
• Buckthorn, common (Rhamnus cathartica)
• Buckthorn, glossy (Frangula alnus)
• Bulrush, rice-field (Schoenoplectiella mucronata)
• Broom, Scotch (Cytisus scoparius)
• Butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii)

C

• Cattail — narrow-leaf & hybrid (Typha angustifolia, T. × glauca)
• Celandine, lesser (Pilewort) (Ranunculus ficaria)
• Cherry, European bird (Prunus padus)
• Chervil, wild (Anthriscus sylvestris)
• Cinquefoil, sulphur (Potentilla recta)
• Clematis, yellow (Clematis tangutica)
• Clover, white sweet (Melilotus alba)
• Cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica, I. brasiliensis)
• Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)
• Cork tree, Amur (Phellodendron amurense)
• Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)
• Crassula, swamp (Australian) (Crassula helmsii)
• Curly-leaf pondweed (Potamogeton crispus)

D

• Daisy, oxeye (Leucanthemum vulgare)
• Dame’s rocket (Hesperis matronalis)
• Daylily, common (Hemerocallis fulva)
• Duck lettuce (Ottelia alismoides)
• Dyer’s woad (Isatis tinctoria)

E

• Eel-grass (Vallisneria spiralis)
• Elodea, Brazilian (Egeria densa)
• Euonymus — winged & winter-creeper (Euonymus alatus, E. fortunei)
• European water-clover (Marsilea quadrifolia)
• European water-lily (Nymphaea alba)

F

• Fanwort, Carolina (Cabomba caroliniana)
• Flatsedge (Cyperus difformis)
• Floating-heart, yellow (Nymphoides peltata)
• Flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus)
• Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)
• Frog-bit — European & American (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae, H. spongia)

G

• Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
• Goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria)
• Grass, canary reed (Phalaris arundinacea)
• Grass, miscanthus (Miscanthus sinensis, M. sacchariflorus)
• Grass, torpedograss (Panicum repens)
• Ground-ivy / Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans)

H

• Hawkweed, orange (Pilosella aurantiaca)
• Hawkweeds, introduced spp. (Hieracium spp.)
• Hogweed, giant (Heracleum mantegazzianum)
• Holly, English (Ilex aquifolium)
• Honeysuckles — Japanese, Amur, Morrow’s, Tatarian, Bell’s & fly (Lonicera japonica, L. maackii, L. morrowii, L. tatarica, L. × bella, L. xylosteum)
• Hound’s-tongue (Cynoglossum officinale)
• Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata)
• Hygrophila, East Indian (Hygrophila polysperma)
• Hyacinth, water (Eichhornia crassipes)

I

• Iris, yellow-flag (Iris pseudacorus)
• Ivy, English (Hedera helix)

K

• Knapweeds — bachelor’s buttons, big & mountain bluet (Centaurea cyanus, C. macrocephala, C. montana)
• Knotweed, Himalayan (Persicaria wallichii)
• Knotweeds — Japanese, giant & Bohemian (Reynoutria japonica, R. sachalinensis, R. × bohemica)

L

• Lamium — yellow archangel & purple (Lamium galeobdolon, L. purpureum)
• Lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis)
• Locust, black (Robinia pseudoacacia)
• Loosestrife, purple & wand (Lythrum salicaria, L. virgatum)

M

• Mannagrass — floating & great (Glyceria fluitans, G. maxima)
• Maples — Amur, Norway & sycamore (Acer ginnala, A. platanoides, A. pseudoplatanus)
• Miscanthus grasses (Miscanthus sinensis, M. sacchariflorus) → also listed under G for ease of search
• Mosquito-fern, pinnate (Azolla pinnata)
• Mountain-ash, European (Sorbus aucuparia)
• Mulberry, white (Morus alba)

N

• Nasturtium / Yellowcress, water (Nasturtium officinale)
• Nymph, brittle water-nymph (Najas minor)

O

• Olive — Russian & autumn (Elaeagnus angustifolia, E. umbellata)
• Oxygen-weed, African (Lagarosiphon major)

P

• Peashrub, Siberian (Caragana arborescens)
• Pear, Callery (Pyrus calleryana)
• Periwinkle (Vinca major, V. minor)
• Phragmites / Common reed (non-native) (Phragmites australis subsp. australis)
• Pine, Scotch (Pinus sylvestris)
• Pilewort / lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria)
• Poplar, silver (Populus alba)
• Porcelainberry (Ampelopsis glandulosa)
• Privet, border (Ligustrum obtusifolium)

R

• Reed canary-grass (Phalaris arundinacea) → see also G
• Rose — multiflora & rugosa (Rosa multiflora, R. rugosa)

S

• Salvinia — giant & common (Salvinia auriculata, S. biloba, S. minima, S. molesta, S. natans)
• Sea-buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides)
• Smartweed, marsh-pepper (Persicaria hydropiper)
• Spirea, false (Sorbaria sorbifolia)
• Spurge-laurel (Daphne laureola)
• Spurges — leafy, myrtle & cypress (Euphorbia esula, E. myrsinites, E. cyparissias)
• Star-of-Bethlehem (Ornithogalum nutans)
• Stonecrop, goldmoss (Sedum acre)
• Stonewort, starry (Nitellopsis obtusa)
• Swallow-worts / dog-strangling vines — black & pale (Vincetoxicum nigrum, V. rossicum, Cynanchum louiseae)
• Sweet flag, European (Acorus calamus)
• Swamp crassula (Australian) (Crassula helmsii)
• Sycamore maple — see Maples

T

• Tamarisk / salt-cedar (Tamarix ramosissima, T. chinensis, T. parviflora & hybrids)
• Tansy, common (Tanacetum vulgare)
• Toadflax (Linaria dalmatica, L. vulgaris, L. genistifolia subsp. dalmatica)
• Tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima)

V

• Valerian, common (Valeriana officinalis)
• Velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti)
• Viper’s-bugloss (Echium vulgare)

W

• Water chestnut, European (Trapa natans)
• Water-clover, European (Marsilea quadrifolia)
• Water-hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)
• Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes)
• Water-lily, European (Nymphaea alba)
• Water-milfoils — parrot-feather, Eurasian & two-leaf (Myriophyllum aquaticum, M. spicatum, M. heterophyllum)
• Water poppy (Hydrocleys nymphoides)
• Water soldier (Stratiotes aloides)
• Water-nymph, brittle (Najas minor)
• Water-poppy (Hydrocleys nymphoides)
• Water-soldier (Stratiotes aloides)
• Wildflower mixes (often contain one or more invasive species — check seed lists carefully!)

Z

• (— none at this time —)