Terrestrial invasives come in many forms including plants, animals, insects, fungi and diseases. They affect the health of our forests, prairies, parks, urban landscapes and more. When these landscapes are unhealthy, all the benefits they provide to us are at risk. The good news is, each one of us can make a difference. Learn what to look for, and you can help slow the spread of invasive species!
View a printable list of all species regulated by NR 40 [PDF] or a list of plants only [PDF].
Click on the buttons below to see what species are invasive in Wisconsin.
The buttons separate invasive plants and animals into regulated or non-regulated categories. Regulated species currently have legal restrictions under the Invasive Species Rule, Chapter NR 40. Non-regulated species currently are not regulated by Chapter NR 40. View our terminology page for classification definitions.
Plants Regulated Non-regulated
Animals Regulated Non-regulated
| Classification | Common name | Scientific name | Factsheet | Photo gallery |
Lit. review |
SAG form |
NR40 Listing Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prohibited | Yellow star thistle | Centaurea solstitialis |  |
|
|
9/1/2009 | |
| Restricted | Yellow iris | Iris pseudacorus | |
 |
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | Wormwood | Artemisia absinthium | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | Woodland forget-me-not | Myosotis sylvatica (or M. sylvaticum) | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Prohibited | Wineberry or wine raspberry | Rubus phoenicolasius | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Restricted | Wild parsnip | Pastinaca sativa | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited/Restricted | Wild chervil | Anthriscus sylvestris | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Restricted | White poplar | Populus alba | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | White mulberry | Morus alba | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | White bedstraw | Galium mollugo | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Prohibited | Wavy leaf basket grass | Oplismenus hirtellus ssp. undulatifolius | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | Tyrol knapweed | Centaurea nigrescens | |
|
 |
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | Tree of heaven | Ailanthus altissima | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Restricted | Tartarian honeysuckle | Lonicera tatarica | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Restricted | Tansy | Tanacetum vulgare | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited/Restricted | Tall or reed mannagrass | Glyceria maxima | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited | Spreading hedgeparsley | Torilis arvensis | |
|
|
9/1/2009 | |
| Restricted | Spotted knapweed | Centaurea biebersteinii, Centaurea maculosa or Centaurea stoebe | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Restricted | Siberian peashrub | Caragana arborescens | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | Siberian elm | Ulmus pumila | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Prohibited | Sericea or Chinese lespedeza | Lespedeza cuneata or Lespedeza sericea | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited/Restricted | Seaside goldenrod | Solidago sempervirens | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Prohibited | Scotch broom | Cytisus scoparius | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Restricted | Scarlet pimpernel or Burnet saxifrage | Pimpinella saxifraga | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Prohibited | Sawtooth oak | Quercus acutissima | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Restricted | Russian olive | Elaeagnus angustifolia | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited | Russian knapweed | Centaurea repens | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | Rose acacia or Bristly locust | Robinia hispida | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | ribbon grass or gardener’s garters and other ornamental variegated varieties and cultivars. | Phalaris arundinacea var. picta | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | Queen of the meadow | Filipendula ulmaria | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | Purple loosestrife | Lythrum salicaria | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited | Princess tree | Paulownia tomentosa | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited | Porcelain berry | Ampelopsis brevipedunculata | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited | Policeman's helmet | Impatiens glandulifera | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Prohibited/Restricted | Poison hemlock | Conium maculatum | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Restricted | Plumeless thistle | Carduus acanthoides | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited/Restricted | Phragmites or Common reed non-native ecotype | Phragmites australis non-native ecotype | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited | Perennial or broadleaved pepperweed | Lepidium latifolium | |
|
|
9/1/2009 | |
| Prohibited | Pale or European swallow−wort | Vincetoxicum rossicum or Cynanchum rossicum | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Restricted | Oriental bittersweet | Celastrus orbiculatus | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Restricted | Narrow-leaf cattail | Typha angustifolia | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited | Narrow leaf bittercress | Cardamine impatiens | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | Musk thistle or Nodding thistle | Carduus nutans | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Restricted | Multiflora rose | Rosa multiflora | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Restricted | Morrow’s honeysuckle | Lonicera morrowii | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Restricted | Moneywort | Lysimachia nummularia (or L. nummelaria) | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Prohibited | Mile−a−minute vine | Polygonum perfoliatum or Persicaria perfoliata | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited | Medusahead | Taeniatherum caput-medusae | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Prohibited/Restricted | Lyme grass or sand ryegrass | Leymus arenarius or Elymus arenarius | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited | Lesser celandine | Ranunculus ficaria | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | Leafy spurge | Euphorbia esula | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited | Kudzu | Pueraria montana or P. lobata | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited | Johnsongrass | Sorghum halepense | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Prohibited | Japanese wisteria | Wisteria floribunda | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Prohibited | Japanese stilt grass | Microstegium vimineum | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Restricted | Japanese knotweed | Fallopia japonica or Polygonum cuspidatum | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited/Restricted | Japanese hops | Humulus japonicus | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited | Japanese honeysuckle | Lonicera japonica | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited/Restricted | Japanese hedgeparsley or erect hedgeparsley | Torilis japonica | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited | Japanese chaff flower | Achyranthes japonica | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | Japanese barberry | Berberis thunbergii | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Prohibited | Indian yam | Dioscorea oppositifolia | |
|
|
9/1/2009 | |
| Restricted | Hybrid cattail | Typha x glauca | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Restricted | Hound’s tongue | Cynoglossum officinale | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited | Himalayan blackberry | Rubus armeniacus | |
|
5/1/2015 | ||
| Prohibited/Restricted | Hill mustard | Bunias orientalis | |
|
|
9/1/2009 | |
| Restricted | Hemp nettle, brittlestem hemp nettle | Galeopsis tetrahit | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Restricted | Helleborine orchid | Epipactis helleborine | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited/Restricted | Hairy willow herb | Epilobium hirsutum | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited | Grecian foxglove | Digitalis lanata | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | Glossy buckthorn | Rhamnus frangula or Frangula alnus | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited | Giant knotweed | Fallopia sachalinensis or Polygonum sachalinense | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited | Giant hogweed | Heracleum mantegazzianum | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Restricted | Garlic mustard | Alliaria petiolata | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Restricted | Garden yellow loosestrife | Lysimachia vulgaris | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | Garden heliotrope or Valerian | Valeriana officinalis | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Prohibited | Fiveleaf akebia or Chocolate vine | Akebia quinata | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | Field scabiosa | Knautia arvensis | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Prohibited/Restricted | European marsh thistle | Cirsium palustre | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited | Diffuse knapweed | Centaurea diffusa | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | Dame’s rocket | Hesperis matronalis | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited/Restricted | Dalmatian toadflax | Linaria dalmatica | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | Cypress spurge | Euphorbia cyparissias | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Restricted | Cut−leaved teasel | Dipsacus laciniatus | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Restricted | Crown vetch | Coronilla varia | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | Creeping bellflower | Campanula rapunculoides | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Restricted | Common teasel | Dipsacus sylvestris or Dipsacus fullonum | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Restricted | Common buckthorn | Rhamnus cathartica | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited | Common barberry | Berberis vulgaris | |
|
5/1/2015 | ||
| Prohibited | Colt's foot | Tussilago farfara | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Prohibited | Chinese yam | Dioscorea batatas or Dioscorea polystacha | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Prohibited | Chinese wisteria | Wisteria sinensis | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | Celandine | Chelidonium majus | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Restricted | Canada thistle | Cirsium arvense | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited | Butterfly dock | Petasites hybridus | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | Burning bush | Euonymus alatus | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | Brown knapweed | Centaurea jacea | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Prohibited | Bohemian knotweed | Fallopia x bohemicum or F. x bohemica or Polygonum × bohemicum | |
|
5/1/2015 | ||
| Prohibited/Restricted | Black or Louise’s swallow−wort | Vincetoxicum nigrum or Cynanchum louiseae | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Restricted | Black locust | Robinia pseudoacacia | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | Black knapweed | Centaurea nigra | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | Black (European) alder | Alnus glutinosa | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | Bishop's goutweed | Aegopodium podagraria | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | Bell’s or showy bush honeysuckle | Lonicera x bella | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Restricted | Balfour's touch-me-not | Impatiens balfourii | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | Autumn olive | Elaeagnus umbellata | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited | Asian loeseneri bittersweet | Celastrus loeseneri | |
|
5/1/2015 | ||
| Restricted | Aquatic forget-me-not | Myosotis scorpioides | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Restricted | Amur maple | Acer tataricum subsp. ginnala | |
|
|
5/1/2015 | |
| Prohibited/Restricted | Amur honeysuckle | Lonicera maackii | |
|
|
|
9/1/2009 |
| Prohibited | Amur cork tree | Phellodendron amurense | |
|
|
5/1/2015 |