You Won’t Be Able to Buy These Plants

On January 20th, the New Jersey Invasive Species Management Act (NJISMA) was signed into law after more than 20 years of planning and discussion among scientists, environmental organizations, the NJ nursery industry, land managers and other stakeholders. This new act lists 30 invasive plant species (currently) that are now illegal to propagate, import/export, sell, or advertise—in other words, no one will be able to buy and plant these species in NJ anymore.

Invasive species degrade ecosystems by outcompeting native vegetation, changing soil chemistry, increasing erosion and devastating wildlife habitat—some invasive species, such as Japanese Barberry, actually make areas more likely to harbor large numbers of ticks, making them a significant health risk to humans. A 1996 federal executive order defined invasive species as “alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health,” making this invasive species management act good news for New Jersey. In fact, the passage of NJISMA brings New Jersey up to speed with neigh-boring states (most of which have had lists of prohibited invasive species for many years) and creates the state’s first comprehensive framework to tackle harmful invasive species now, and in the future as the list of species evolves over time. Some of the species on the current banned list are well known problems in our area, such as Callary Pear, Tree of Heaven, Porcelain Berry, Running Bamboo, Japanese Hop, and Multiflora Rose. Other invasive species which have been commonly used in land-scapes in recent years are also on the list and may come as a surprise to some people—Norway Maple, Mimosa, English Ivy, European Privet, and Chinese Silver Grass, to name a few. These, too, can spread rampantly and cause ecosystem devastation.

See the full list of currently banned species below, almost all of which can already be found spreading in and around Frenchtown (species present locally have been noted with an asterisk):

• Norway maple (Acer platanoides)*
• Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima)*
• Mimosa Tree/Persian Silk Tree (Albizia julibrissin)*
• Porcelain Berry (Ampelopsis glandulosa var. brevipedunculata)*
• Japanese Angelica Tree (Aralia elata)
• Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii)*
• Japanese Clematis (Clematis terniflora)*
• Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata)*
• Weeping Lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula)
• Winged Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus)*
• English Ivy (Hedera helix)*
• Japanese Hop (Humulus japonicus)*
• Sericea Lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata)*
• European Privet (Ligustrum vulgare)*
• Amur Honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii)*
• Morrow’s Honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii)*
• Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)*
• Japanese Crabapple (Malus toringo)
• Chinese Silver Grass (Miscanthus sinensis)*
• Eurasian Mater-Milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum)
• Oriental Photinia (Photinia villosa)
• Running Bamboo (Phyllostachys)*
• Callery or Bradford Pear (Pyrus calleryana)*
• Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)
• Jetbead (Rhodotypos scandens)*
• Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora)*
• European Water Chestnut (Trapa natans)
• Siebold’s Arrowwood (Viburnum sieboldii)
• Japanese Wisteria (Wisteria floribunda)*
• Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis)*

To see the most up-to-date list of banned species, or for more information, visit the NJ Invasive Species Strike Team information page www.fohvos.info/invasive-species-strike-team/info-center/.

—Randi Eckel