Preliminary List of Exotic Pest Plants of
Greatest Ecological Concern in
Oregon and Washington

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Red alert - high potential to spread
A-1 Most invasive - widespread
A-2 Most invasive - regional
B. Wildland weeds of lesser invasiveness
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Considered but not listed

Red alert - high potential to spread
Amorpha fruticosa  
Bryonia alba White bryonia
Centaurea maculosa Spotted knapweed
Centaurea virgata var. squarrosa Squarrose knapweed
Cyperus esculenta Yellow nutsedge
Daphne laureola Spurge laurel
Elaeagnus angustifolia Russian-olive
Euphorbia escula Leafy spurge
Foeniculum vulgare Fennel
Geranium robertianum Herb robert
Gypsophila paniculata Baby's breath
Hieracium pilosella Mouse ear hawkweed
Helianthus ciliaris Texas blueweed
Hibiscus trionum Venice mallow
Hydrilla verticillata Hydrilla
Lepidium latifolium Perennial pepperweed
Lepyrodicilis holstedoides
Mirabilis nyctaginea Four o'clock
Peganum harmala African rue
Polygonum cuspidatum (syn. ?) Japanese knotweed
Polygonum polystachyum (syn. ?)
Polygonum sachalenese (syn. ?) Sakhalian knotweed
Proboscidea louisianica Devil's claw
Salvia aethiopis Mediterranean sage
Spartina alterniflora Smooth cordgrass
Spartina angelica Cordgrass
Spartina patens
Sphaerophysa salsula Swainsonpea
Tamarix pentandra Tamarisk
Zygophyllum fabago Syrian bearcaper

A-1 Most invasive - widespread
Agropyron repens Quack grass
Ammophila arenaria European beachgrass
Anthoxanthum odoratum Sweet vernalgrass
Bromus inermis Smooth brome
Bromus japonicus Japanese brome
Bromus tectorum Cheatgrass
Cardaria draba Hoary cress
Centaurea diffusa Diffuse knapweed
Centaurea solstitialis Yellow starthistle
Cirsium arvense Canada thistle
Cytisus scoparius Scotch or Scot's broom
Erodium cicutarium Redstem filaree
Halogeton glomeratus Halogeton
Hedera helix English ivy
Holcus lanatus Common velvetgrass
Hypericum perforatum St. John's wort
Hypocharis radicata Spotted cat's ear
Kochia scoparia Kochia
Lactuca serriola Prickly lettuce
Leucanthumum vulgare
(Chrysanthemum leucanthemum)
Ox-eye daisy
Linaria genistifolia subsp. dalmatica Dalmatian toadflax
Lythrum salicaria Purple loosestrife
Matricaria matricarioides Pineapple weed
Phalaris arundinacea Reed canary grass
Poa pratensis Kentucky bluegrass
Robinia pseudoacacia Black locust
Rorripa nasturium-aquaticum
Rubus discolor Himalayan blackberry
Rumex acetosella Red sorrel
Senecio jacobaea Tansy ragwort
Sisymbrium altissimum Tumble mustard
Taeniatherum caput-medusae Medusahead
Tragopogan pratensis Meadow salsify
Verbascum thapsus Mullein

A-2 Most invasive - regional (highly to moderately
invasive but still with a potential to spread)
Abutilon theophrastii Velvetleaf
Agrostis capillaris (A. tenuis) Colonial bentgrass
Agrostis stolonifera (A. alba) Creeping bentgrass
Ailanthus altissima Tree of heaven
Alhagi pseudalhagi Camelthorn
Apera interrupta (Agrostis interrupta) Interrupted apera
Bromus brizaeformis Rattlegrass
Buddleia davidii Butterfly bush
Carduus acanthoides Acanthus thistle
Cenchrus longispinus Longspine sandbur
Centaurea macrocephala Bighead knapweed
Centaurea pratensis Meadow knapweed
Centaurea repens Russian knapweed
Centaurea vulgaris
Chondrilla juncea Rush skeletonweed
Chorispora tenella Blue mustard
Clematis vitalba Traveller's joy
Conium maculatum Poison-hemlock
Crupina vulgaris Common crupina
Cytisus monspessulanus French broom
Echium vulgare Blueweed
Hieracium aurantiacum Orange hawkweed
Hieracium caespitosum
Ilex aquifolium English holly
Iris pseudacorus Yellowflag iris
Isatis tinctoria Dyer's woad
Lupinus arboreus Tree lupine
Myriophyllum spicatum Spiked water-milfoil
Onopordum acanthium Scotch thistle
Populus alba White poplar
Potentilla recta Sulfur cinquefoil
Rorippa austriaca Australian fieldcress
Sorghum halapense Johnson grass
Tanacetum vulgare Common tansy
Tragopogon dubius Western salsify
Ulex europaeus Gorse

B. Wildland weeds of lesser invasiveness
(less agressive)
Aegilops cylindrica Jointed goatgrass
Alopecuris myosuroides Black twitch
Ambrosia artemisiifolia Roman wormwood
Anthriscus sylvestris Chervil
Arctium minus Common burdock
Arrenantherum elatius Tall oatgrass
Artemisia absinthium Absinth wormwood
Bassia hyssopifolia Firehook bassia
Brachypodium sylvaticum False-brome
Bromus sterilis Poverty brome
Carduus nutans Musk thistle
Carduus pychnocephalus Italian thistle
Carduus tenuifolius Slender flowered thistle
Centaurea nigra Black knapweed
Centaurea jacea Brown knapweed
Centaurea jacea X nigra
Centranthus ruber Red valerian
Cirsium vulgare Bull thistle
Cuscuta approximata Clustered dodder
Cuscuta epithymum Clover dodder
Convolvulus arvense Field bindweed
Crataegus monogyna English hawthorne
Cynoglossum officinale Houndstongue
Dactylis glomerata Orchard grass
Daucus carota Queen Anne's Lace
Descurania sophia Flixweed
Digitalis purpurea Foxglove
Erechtites minima Toothed coast burnweed
Festuca arundinacea Tall fescue
Festuca pratensis Meadow fescue
Hemizonia pungens Common spikeweed
Heracleum mantegazzianum Giant hogweed
Holcus mollis Creeping velvet-grass
Juncus marginatus
Lactuca muralis Wall lettuce
Linaria vulgaris Yellow toadflax
Lolium multiflorum Italian ryegrass
Lolium perenne Perennial ryegrass
Lotus corniculatus Birdsfoot trefoil
Matricaria perforata
Melilotus alba White sweetclover
Melilotus officinalis Yellow sweetclover
Morus alba Mulberry
Parentucellia viscosa Parentucellia
Phleum pratense Timothy
Picris hieracioides
Poa compressa Canada bluegrass
Prunus avium Bird Cherry
Prunus cerasus Sour cherry
Prunus lauroceraus Cherry laurel
Prunus mahaleb Mahaleb cherry
Ribes rubrum
Rosa canina Dog rose
Rosa eglanteria Sweetbriar
Rubus laciniatus Evergreen blackberry
Rumex crispus Curly dock
Salsola iberica Russian thistle
Secale cerale Cultivated rye
Silene latifolius ssp. alba White campion
Solanum dulcamara Bittersweet nightshade
Sonchus arvensis ssp. arvensis Perennial sowthistle
Sorbus aucuparia European mountain ash
Torilis arvensis Field hedge-parsley
Tribulus terrestris Puncture-vine
Ulmus pumila Siberian elm
Verbascum blattaria Moth mullein
Vicia cracca Bird vetch
Vicia villosa Hairy vetch
Vinca minor Lesser periwinkle
Vulpia myorus (Festuca myorus) Rat-tailed fescue

Need more information
Acaena novae-zelandiae Bidy-bidy
Anchusa arvensis Small bugloss
Anchusa officinalis Common bugloss
Cabomba caroliniana
Cardaria pubescens Hairy whitetop
Carthamus lanatus Safflower
Chaenorrhinum minus Dwarf snapdragon
Cyperus rotundus
Cytisus striatus
Elodea (Egeria) densa Waterweed
Eruca vesicalia ssp. salvia Garden rocket
Holoscyamus niger
Lysimachia vulgaris Garden loosestrife
Lythrum virgatum
Phalaris aquaticum Harding grass
Rorippa sylvestris Yellow fieldcress
Rubus ulmifolius
Rubus vestitus European blackberry
Salix purpurea
Silybium marianum Blessed milkthistle
Solanum eleagnifolium Silverleaf nightshade
Spartium junceum Spanish broom
Xanthium spinosum Spiny cocklebur

Considered but not listed
Agropyron cristatum Crested wheatgrass
Avena fatua Wild oats
Avena sativa Common oats
Carthamus baeticus
Carthamus leucocaulis
Cytisus monspessulanus French broom
Dipsacus sylvestris Teasel
Elaeagnus unbellata Autumn olive
Elytrigia intermedia Intermediate wheatgrass
Gutierrezia sarothrae Broom snakeweed
Lamium hybridum Dead-nettle
Marrubium vulgare Horehound
Panicum miliaceum Wild proso-millet
Portulaca oleracea Common purslane
Robinia hispida
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Revised: May 23, 1997.
Copyright © 1996-2000 Washington Native Plant Society. All rights reserved.
Contact: wnps@blarg.net