Invasive Plants of the Eastern United States:
Identification and Control

Technical Coordinators:
Charles T. Bargeron, David J. Moorhead, G. Keith Douce,
Richard C. Reardon and Arthur E. Miller

The University of Georgia, USDA APHIS PPQ and USDA Forest Service
Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team. FHTET-2003-08

A biological invasion of non-native plants is spreading into our nations' fields, pastures, forests, wetlands and waterways, natural areas, and right-of-ways. Variously referred to as exotic, nonnative, alien, noxious, or non-indigenous weeds, invasive plants impact native plant and animal communities by displacing native vegetation and disrupting habitats as they become established and spread over time.

Drawing on recent publications by the USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA APHIS PPQ and the Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council, this web site covers identification characteristics, distribution, and control options for 97 tree, shrub, vine, grass, fern, forb, and aquatic plant species that are invading the eastern United States. For each species, a menu of control options is presented, including mechanical treatments, specific herbicide prescriptions, and, for selected species, recent advances in biological control.

While this is not an official list of "invasive" plants throughout the eastern United States, it includes Federal Noxious Weeds and those listed by State regulatory agencies, pest plant councils and other organizations. Some of the plants on this list are often found in ornamental plantings and landscapes. In fact, many non-native plants introduced for horticultural and agricultural use now pose a serious ecological threat in the absence of their natural predators and control agents. This publication will aid landowners, foresters, resource managers, and the general public in becoming familiar with invasive plants in their area to help protect our environment from the economic and ecological impacts of these biological pollutants.

Copies of this web site can be ordered on CD-ROM from: Richard Reardon, USDA Forest Service, Morgantown, West Virginia, (304) 285-1566, rreardon@fs.fed.us or by completing the online form.

www.invasive.org