Invasive plants regulated in Maine (64 species, cited)

Invasive plants regulated in Maine

Maine regulates 64 invasive plants under 01-001 CMR Ch. 273. The table below reproduces that list in full, showing each plant's status in the state's own words. Maine's list is a trade restriction, which governs what may be sold, propagated, or moved within the state.

Compiled from the rule itself, retrieved July 20, 2026. Law changes; if you spot a listing we have wrong or stale, tell us at [email protected].

4 of these plants are native to part of the United States, marked US native below. Nativity is regional. Black locust is native to the Appalachians and regulated in New England; Palmer amaranth is native to the Southwest and listed as an agricultural weed in the Corn Belt. A listing tells you what Maine regulates, not where a plant belongs. The county checker answers the second question.

Regulated and invasive are two different findings, and this page shows them separately. 49 of the 64 plants below carry both: Maine names them in statute and GRIIS lists them as invasive in the United States. The other 15 are regulated by Maine without appearing on that register. The reverse is far more common still: most plants GRIIS calls invasive are named in no state’s statute at all and are sold freely, so an absent chip is never a clean bill of health.

Plant	Scientific name	Status	Maine’s determination
Amur Corktree	Phellodendron amurense	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Amur Corktree under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Sweet Birch, Black Ash, Bigtooth Aspen
Amur Honeysuckle	Lonicera maackii	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Amur Honeysuckle under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Bog Birch, Common Witch Hazel, Rhodora
Amur Maple	Acer ginnala	Prohibited	Maine lists Amur Maple under “Do Not Sell.”
Amur Silvergrass	Miscanthus sacchariflorus	Prohibited	Maine lists Amur Silvergrass under “Do Not Sell.”
Asiatic Tearthumb	Polygonum perfoliatum	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Asiatic Tearthumb under “Do Not Sell.”
Autumn Olive	Elaeagnus umbellata	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Autumn Olive under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Chokecherry, Red-Barked Dogwood, Redosier Dogwood
Bishop's Goutweed	Aegopodium podagraria	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Bishop's Goutweed under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Wild Sarsaparilla, Jack in the Pulpit, Bristlystalked Sedge
Black Alder	Alnus glutinosa	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Black Alder under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Sweet Birch, Black Ash, Bigtooth Aspen
Black Locust US native	Robinia pseudoacacia	Prohibited	Maine lists Black Locust under “Do Not Sell.”
Blueberry Creeper	Ampelopsis brevipedunculata	Prohibited	Maine lists Blueberry Creeper under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Common Witch Hazel, Canadian Serviceberry, Summersweet
Bolleana Poplar	Populus alba 'Pyramidalis'	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Bolleana Poplar under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Sweet Birch, Black Ash, Bigtooth Aspen
Border Privet	Ligustrum obtusifolium	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Border Privet under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Mountain Laurel, Hairy Lespedeza, Sweetgale
Bukhara Fleeceflower	Polygonum baldschuanicum	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Bukhara Fleeceflower under “Do Not Sell.”
Burning Bush	Euonymus alatus	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Burning Bush under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Hairy Lespedeza, American Black Elderberry, Russet Buffaloberry
Callery Pear	Pyrus calleryana	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Callery Pear under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Paper Birch, Pin Cherry, American Mountain Ash
Coltsfoot	Tussilago farfara	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Coltsfoot under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Salt Heliotrope, Bluebead, Marsh Bellflower
Common Barberry	Berberis vulgaris	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Common Barberry under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Hairy Lespedeza, American Black Elderberry, Inkberry
Common Reed	Phragmites australis	Prohibited	Maine lists Common Reed under “Do Not Sell.”
Common Wormwood	Artemisia vulgaris	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Common Wormwood under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Common Rush, Big Bluestem, Hairy Lespedeza
Creeping Buttercup	Ranunculus repens	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Creeping Buttercup under “Do Not Sell.”
Cup Plant US native	Silphium perfoliatum	Prohibited	Maine lists Cup Plant under “Do Not Sell.”
Cypress Spurge	Euphorbia cyparissias	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Cypress Spurge under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Velvet Bentgrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, Common Spikerush
Dames Rocket	Hesperis matronalis	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Dames Rocket under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Virginia Rose, Black Raspberry, Russet Buffaloberry
Dwarf Honeysuckle	Lonicera xylosteum	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Dwarf Honeysuckle under “Do Not Sell.”
Empress Tree	Paulownia tomentosa	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Empress Tree under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Paper Birch, Pin Cherry, American Mountain Ash
European Mountain Ash	Sorbus aucuparia	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists European Mountain Ash under “Do Not Sell.”
European Wand Loosestrife	Lythrum virgatum	Prohibited	Maine lists European Wand Loosestrife under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Hairy Lespedeza, American Black Elderberry, Sawtooth Sunflower
False Indigobush US native	Amorpha fruticosa	Prohibited	Maine lists False Indigobush under “Do Not Sell.”
Fig Buttercup	Ranunculus ficaria	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Fig Buttercup under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Common Selfheal, Meadow Evening Primrose, Meadow Bistort
Fineleaf Sheep Fescue	Festuca filiformis	Prohibited	Maine lists Fineleaf Sheep Fescue under “Do Not Sell.”
Flowering Rush	Butomus umbellatus	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Flowering Rush under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Hairy Lespedeza, American Black Elderberry, Sawtooth Sunflower
Garden Valerian	Valeriana officinalis	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Garden Valerian under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Virginia Rose, Black Raspberry, Russet Buffaloberry
Garlic Mustard	Alliaria petiolata	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Garlic Mustard under “Do Not Sell.”
Glossy Buckthorn	Frangula alnus	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Glossy Buckthorn under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Common Witch Hazel, Canadian Serviceberry, Speckled Alder
Golden Bamboo	Phyllostachys aurea	Prohibited	Maine lists Golden Bamboo under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Missouri River Willow, Atlantic White Cedar, Eastern Redcedar
Ground Ivy	Glechoma hederacea	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Ground Ivy under “Do Not Sell.”
Horned Poppy	Glaucium flavum	Prohibited	Maine lists Horned Poppy under “Do Not Sell.”
Japanese Angelica Tree	Aralia elata	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Japanese Angelica Tree under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Roundleaf Serviceberry, Pin Cherry, Common Witch Hazel
Japanese Barberry	Berberis thunbergii	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Japanese Barberry under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Mountain Laurel, Hairy Lespedeza, Sweetgale
Japanese Honeysuckle	Lonicera japonica	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Japanese Honeysuckle under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Roadside Agrimony, Mountain Laurel, Hairy Lespedeza
Japanese Knotweed	Fallopia japonica (potentially invasive weed)	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Japanese Knotweed under “Do Not Sell.”
Japanese Sweet Coltsfoot	Petasites japonicus	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Japanese Sweet Coltsfoot under “Do Not Sell.”
Morrow's Honeysuckle	Lonicera morrowii	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Morrow's Honeysuckle under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Mountain Laurel, Hairy Lespedeza, Sweetgale
Multiflora Rose	Rosa multiflora	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Multiflora Rose under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Hairy Lespedeza, American Black Elderberry, Common Cowparsnip
Nepalese Browntop	Microstegium vimineum	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Nepalese Browntop under “Do Not Sell.”
Norway Maple	Acer platanoides	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Norway Maple under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Atlantic White Cedar, Eastern Redcedar, American Arborvitae
Oriental Bittersweet	Celastrus orbiculatus	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Oriental Bittersweet under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Common Witch Hazel, Canadian Serviceberry, Summersweet
Oriental Photinia	Photinia villosa	Prohibited	Maine lists Oriental Photinia under “Do Not Sell.”
Ornamental Jewelweed	Impatiens glandulifera	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Ornamental Jewelweed under “Do Not Sell.”
Paleyellow Iris	Iris pseudacorus	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Paleyellow Iris under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Hairy Lespedeza, American Black Elderberry, Sawtooth Sunflower
Purple Loosestrife	Lythrum salicaria	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Purple Loosestrife under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Hairy Lespedeza, American Black Elderberry, Sawtooth Sunflower
Purple Winter Creeper	Euonymus fortunei	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Purple Winter Creeper under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Wild Sarsaparilla, Jack in the Pulpit, Bristlystalked Sedge
Reed Canarygrass US native	Phalaris arundinacea	Prohibited	Maine lists Reed Canarygrass under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Common Rush, Western Brackenfern, Roadside Agrimony
Russian Olive	Elaeagnus angustifolia	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Russian Olive under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Common Juniper, Pin Cherry, Sandbar Willow
Seaberry	Hippophae rhamnoides	Prohibited	Maine lists Seaberry under “Do Not Sell.”
Tatarian Honeysuckle	Lonicera tatarica	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Tatarian Honeysuckle under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Hairy Lespedeza, American Black Elderberry, Common Cowparsnip
Tree of Heaven	Ailanthus altissima	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Tree of Heaven under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Sweet Birch, Black Ash, Bigtooth Aspen
Variegated Water Grass	Glyceria maxima 'Variegata'	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Variegated Water Grass under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Common Rush, Big Bluestem, Yellow Indian Grass
Wild Chervil	Anthriscus sylvestris	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Wild Chervil under “Do Not Sell.”
Wild Privet	Ligustrum vulgare	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Wild Privet under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Mountain Laurel, Hairy Lespedeza, Sweetgale
Wine Raspberry	Rubus phoenicolasius	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Wine Raspberry under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Black Raspberry, Russet Buffaloberry, Carolina Rose
Woodland Angelica	Angelica sylvestris	Prohibited	Maine lists Woodland Angelica under “Do Not Sell.”
Yellow Groove Bamboo	Phyllostachys aureosulcata	Prohibited Invasive	Maine lists Yellow Groove Bamboo under “Do Not Sell.”Plant instead: Missouri River Willow, Atlantic White Cedar, Eastern Redcedar
Japanese Rose	Rosa rugosa	Restricted Invasive	Maine lists Japanese Rose under “Plants of Special Concern.”

What the tags mean

Prohibited Restricted Listed

A legal status. Maine names the plant in statute. Under a nursery rule that means it may not be sold, propagated, or moved; under an agricultural weed law it means landowners must control it. The cited rule says which, in Maine’s own words, in the last column.

Invasive

An ecological finding, and a different question from the law. GRIIS — the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species — lists the plant as invasive in the United States. Most invasive plants carry no state listing at all and are sold freely, so a plant without this tag is not thereby safe, and a plant without a legal chip is not thereby harmless.

Where this comes from

Maine listings: 01-001 CMR Ch. 273. Read the rule.
Invasive status: GRIIS, the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species, via GBIF. A scientific register with no legal force; it is cited separately from the statute above because the two disagree far more often than they agree.
Status wording: Each determination is written as a sentence, with Maine’s own term for the plant reproduced verbatim inside it. The Prohibited / Restricted / Listed chips are Ezina’s normalisation across 42 states and are not the legal term.
Nativity: USDA PLANTS county distribution layer, surfaced through the county checker.

Questions

What plants are illegal to sell in Maine?

64 plants are regulated under 01-001 CMR Ch. 273. Plants marked Prohibited may not be sold, propagated, or moved within Maine. Plants marked Restricted carry narrower limits set by the rule.

Is my plant invasive in Maine?

Search the table on this page, or enter the plant's name in Ezina's checker to get its Maine status alongside whether USDA records it as native to your specific county. Every answer links the record it came from.

Does a plant missing from this list mean it is safe to plant in Maine?

No. This page reproduces what Maine regulates, and a state list is a legal instrument rather than an ecological verdict. Plenty of plants spread aggressively without ever being listed, and states add species years after the problem is documented.

Grow natives easily with Ezina

How it works

We provide the tools you need to succeed.

The Ezina app identifying a plant: a live camera view framing pink coneflowers, with Plant, Disease/Insect, and Both scan modes.

010.1Identify

Add a plant

Snap a photo or type the name. The app pulls 4,000+ species from peer-reviewed horticulture data and starts a care plan tailored to your zone, the local weather, and the time of year.

The Ezina app’s care screen: water needs showing status Okay, last watered 12 days ago, a suggested volume, and a treatment section.

010.2Care

Get a care plan

A schedule built from local rain, temperature, and sun, not a fixed weekly cadence. You get a single notification when a plant actually needs water. Easily add treatments for diseases and pests.

The Ezina Dig planner: a starting-plan site map with suggested garden beds you can draw with your finger.

010.3Plan

Explore new options

Our garden planner Dig helps you understand what works best for your location and makes suggestions based off your long term goals.

Add a plant

Snap a photo or type the name. The app pulls 4,000+ species from peer-reviewed horticulture data and starts a care plan tailored to your zone, the local weather, and the time of year.

Get Ezina for your garden Explore Ezina

Compiled from peer-reviewed research, USDA documentation,
and direct scientific observation across the 48 contiguous states.