State Noxious Weeds

State Prohibited Noxious Weeds

Prohibited noxious weeds are annual, biennial, or perennial plants that the commissioner designates as having the potential or are known to be detrimental to human or animal health, the environment, public roads, crops, livestock or other property. There are two regulatory listings for prohibited noxious weeds in Minnesota.

1. Eradicate List: Prohibited noxious weeds that are listed to be eradicated are plants that are not currently known to be present in Minnesota or are not widely established. These species must be eradicated, meaning all of the above and below ground parts of the plant must be destroyed, as required by Minnesota Statutes, Section 18.78. Additionally, transportation, propagation, or sale of these is prohibited except as allowed by Minnesota Statutes, Section 18.82. Measures must also be taken to prevent and exclude these species from being introduced into Minnesota.

	Common Name	Scientific Name	Year added to list
1.	Black swallow-wort	Cyanchum louiseae Kartesz & Gandhi	2013
2.	Brown knapweed	Centaurea jacea L.	2013
3.	Common teasel	Dipsacus fullonum L.	2012
4.	Cutleaf teasel	Dipsacus laciniatus L.	2012
5.	Dalmatian toadflax	Linaria dalmatica (L.) Mill	2012
6.	Diffuse knapweed	Centaurea diffusa L.	2017
7.	Giant hogweed	Heracleum mantegazzianum Sommier & Levier	2012
8.	Grecian foxglove	Digitalis lanata Ehrh.	2010
9.	Japanese honeysuckle	Lonicera japonica Thunb.	2020
10.	Japanese hops	Humulus japonicus Siebold & Zucc.	2012
11.	Meadow knapweed	Centaurea x moncktonii C.E. Britton	2013
12.	Oriental bittersweet	Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb.	2011
13.	Palmer amaranth	Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson	2015
14.	Poison hemlock	Conium maculatum L.	2018
15.	Tree of heaven	Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle	2017
16.	Yellow starthistle	Centaurea solstitialis L.	2010

Giant hogweed and yellow starthistle are not known to be in Minnesota but have been determined to be a threat to invade the state.

2. Control List: Prohibited noxious weeds listed to be controlled are plants established throughout Minnesota or regions of the state. Species on this list must be controlled, meaning efforts must be made to prevent the spread, maturation and dispersal of any propagating parts, thereby reducing established populations and preventing reproduction and spread as required by Minnesota Statutes, Section 18.78. Additionally, propagation, sale, or transportation of these plants is prohibited except as allowed by Minnesota Statutes, Section 18.82.

	Common Name	Scientific Name	Year added to list
1.	Bohemian knotweed	Polygonum x bohemicum (J. Chrtek & Chrtkova) Zika & Jacobson	2020
2.	Canada thistle	Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.	1872
3.	Common barberry	Berberis vulgaris L.	2017
4.	Common tansy	Tanacetum vulgare L.	2010
5.	Giant knotweed	Polygonum sachalinese F. Schmidt ex Maxim	2014
6.	Japanese knotweed	Polygonum cuspidatum Seibold & Zucc.	2014
7.	Leafy spurge	Euphorbia esula L.	1992
8.	Narrowleaf bittercress	Cardamine impatiens L.	2012
9.	Plumeless thistle	Carduus acanthoides L.	1975
10	Purple loosestrife	Lythrum salicaria L.	1992
11.	Spotted knapweed	Centaurea stoebe L. ssp. micranthos (Gugler) Hayek	2001
12.	Wild parsnip	Pastinaca sativa L. (except for non-wild cultivated varieties)	2010

Restricted Noxious Weeds

Restricted noxious weeds are plants that are widely distributed in Minnesota and are detrimental to human or animal health, the environment, public roads, crops, livestock or other property, but whose only feasible means of control is to prevent their spread by prohibiting the importation, sale, and transportation of their propagating parts in the state except as allowed by Minnesota Statutes, Section 18.82. Plants designated as Restricted Noxious Weeds may be reclassified if effective means of control are developed.

	Common Name	Scientific Name	Year added to list
1.	Amur honeysuckle	Lonicera maackii (Rupr.) Herder	2017
2.	Bell’s honeysuckle	Lonicera x bella Zabel	2017
3.	Black locust	Robinia pseudoacacia L.	2017
4.	Common or European buckthorn	Rhamnus cathartica L.	1999
5.	Crown vetch	Securigera varia (L.) Lassen	2017
6.	European alder	Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.	2020
7.	Garlic mustard	Alliaria petiolata Bieb.	2013
8.	Glossy buckthorn (and all cultivars)	Frangula alnus Mill.	1999
9.	Japanese barberry cultivars	Berberis thunbergii DC.	2015
10.	Morrow’s honeysuckle	Lonicera morrowii A. Gray	2017
11.	Multiflora rose	Rosa multiflora Thunb.	2012
12.	Non-native Phragmites	Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin ex Steud. ssp. australis	2013
13.	Porcelain berry	Ampelopsis brevipedunculata (Maxim.) Trautv.	2017
14.	Siberian peashrub	Caragana arborescens Lam. (exemption for Green Spires® Caragana – Caragana ‘Jefarb’)	2020
15.	Tatarian honeysuckle	Lonicera tatarica L.	2017
16.	Wild carrot/Queen Anne’s Lace	Daucus carota L.	2017

Specially Regulated Plants

Specially regulated plants are plants that may be native species or have demonstrated economic value, but also have the potential to cause harm in non-controlled environments. Plants designated as specially regulated have been determined to pose ecological, economical, or human or animal health concerns. Plant specific management plans and or rules that define the use and management requirements for these plants will be developed by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture for each plant designated as specially regulated. Measures must also be taken to minimize the potential for harm caused by these plants.

	Common Name	Scientific Name	Year added to list	Special regulation
1.	Amur maple	Acer ginnala Maxim.	2016	Sellers shall affix a label that advises buyers to only plant Amur maple and its cultivars in landscapes where the seedlings will be controlled by mowing or other means. Amur maple should be planted at least 100 yards from natural areas.
2.	Norway maple	Acer platanoides L.	2020	Sellers shall affix a label that advises “Norway maple should only be planted in areas where the seedlings will be controlled or eradicated by mowing or other means. Norway maple seed is wind dispersed so trees should not be planted closer than 100 yards from natural areas.”
3.	Poison ivy	Toxicodendron radicans (L.) Kuntze & T. rydbergii (Small) Green	2010	Must be eradicated or controlled for public safety along rights-of-ways, trails, public accesses, business properties open to the public or on parts of lands where public access for business or commerce is granted. Must also be eradicated or controlled along property boarders when requested by adjoining landowners.
4.	Winged burning bush	Euonymus alatus Thunb.	2020	Three-year production phase-out period, after which sale of this species will be prohibited and the species will move to the Restricted list in 2023.

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